Where You Least Expect It
by take a break
Summary: Bella and Carlisle move Chicago they never expect to find the people they never knew was missing from their lives. Will Bella let herself fall for a human Edward, or will the undeniable thirst she has for him win over? ExB
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys,

This is a test chapter to see if this story will work, let me know what you think and if you want the story to coninue.

I own none of the wonderful characters created by Stephenie Meyer.

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How mundane this city is, why did I agree to move to Florida? We can't go in the sun so what was I going to do for 12 hours a day? This house is a prison, and if it isn't a prison it must be a tremendous interpretation of hell. How many years have we been here? It must be coming upon the time that we have to move … right? As Carlisle says, _'When you have endless time you must have endless patience.'_

I've been travelling with Carlisle for two and a half centuries, ever since I found him in that barn in London. We've been friends for several people's lifetimes. For our kind it's odd for even two of us to travel together, being alone for two centuries makes you want to have someone to keep you company though.

"Bella?" I heard Carlisle speak my name in the living room and in less than a second I was in front of him.

"Yes?" I asked moving into the small room. Our living was modest, even though Carlisle and I had been working and saving for the past 250 years, we preferred it this way with just the two of us, it made it easier to fit into any community we decided to live in.

"We need to move on again, people are starting to ask questions at the hospital."

"How long have we been here this time?" I asked, knowing that it was natural that people took extra interest in us, we tended to draw attention in each town we visited, however here especially we would draw attention as night dwellers.

"I think it's been almost a decade now." Usually Carlisle made the arrangements for when and where we would move. He just took that role naturally over time.

"That long already?" I asked not able to hide the sarcasm from my voice, Carlisle and I tended to adapt well to the change in mannerisms, although my sarcasm seemed to irritate him a little. "Okay, where are we going this time? Maybe its time I updated my Medical license." I said musing to myself.

"Maybe you should go back to high school again Bella." Said Carlisle looking at me. I pulled a face that quickly turned into a scowl.

"Yeah maybe you should go with me, how would you like to go back there?"

"Come on Bella we can stay in Chicago longer if you go back to school."

"University, fine. But you promised I would not have to go back to another high school after we were in Chicago last time, which I might remind you, was only about thirty years ago. Why are we going back?"

"It was the easiest place to get a job."

"Don't you think we will be a little too recognisable?"

"Bella we were there for 6 months at the most, I'm sure no one even remembers our names and plus this time we can be siblings instead of newlyweds and that our parents were Bella and Carlisle Cullen, they can't argue with that. Plus people won't glare at you as you pass in the halls like they do now." he said smiling smugly.

"Like I care what the humans think." I said glaring at him.

"Bella, you need to take more time to appreciate the humans, thoughts and lifestyle."

"If I do does it mean I don't have to go back there?"

"You have to go back through college anyway Bella."

"That's different and you know it, I can breeze through college. Four years of pain and it's over, but you want to add another 2 years to my punishment?"

"That's nothing to us Isabella." Carlisle said sternly, however his eyes were pleading with me to agree. Moving every decade did get tiresome after the first 50 times.

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes and looked at Carlisle before giving in, "Fine…but next time can you please wait half a century before we go back to the same place?"

He saluted as if she were a general in the army and quickly walked from the room to make arrangements.

Chicago. We left there for a good reason and now we were going back. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if anyone new our secret. I'm not sure that there is even one human alive that could accept what we are.

We are monsters in the loosest sense of the word; humans instinctively knew to shy away from us. We have fangs and sinister looks in all of the human's laughable interpretations of our kind.

Vampires.

If only they knew what our kind were really like, we couldn't be frightened away by a tiny wooden stake, silver does nothing but make great jewellery and garlic is unlikely to even hurt one of those fragile human beings. Ever since film has been discovered, that and motion pictures the idea of vampirism has become even more laughable. The gelled back hair? Black and red cape? Sleeping in coffins? We don't even have fangs, for goodness' sake. Okay, we may not be able go in the sun, however that is only when humans are around.

I slowly walked back up the stairs to start packing. It wouldn't take long to pack we left most of the furniture at the houses we bought to go back to and only took the essentials. 20 minutes later I was ready to go, we would feed on the way, there were plenty of national parks between here and Chicago.

The invention of cars certainly made our moves much easier, it was faster than walking or riding on horseback. We made it to Chicago in a day and settled into our house there.

Usually I would go with Carlisle to the hospital so that I could work there with him, after a century of being a teacher I needed a change and Carlisle taught me everything I needed to know for medicine. Every few years we would have to renew our doctors license, but this time I was going back to high school.

"Bella? Will you come into the garage for a moment?" I rolled my eyes before walking in to see Carlisle, no doubt he was going to gloat about not having to go back to the torturous place that was school.

Before I could step into the garage properly Carlisle put one hand over my eyes and placed the other on the small of my back leading me into our large garage, we had built a second garage into this house to hold the cars we bought. Generally we had agreed to live modestly, however Carlisle and I discovered that we liked the speed and luxury of good cars.

"Carlisle, why are you doing this? You know I hate surprises."

"Let me have my moment Bella, I never get to surprise you with that special talent of yours." He said attempting to guilt me into complying. For years Carlisle had complained that he could not attempt to surprise me with anything, as I would merely pluck it from his mind.

As a human I had a knack for hiding my thoughts and emotions from the people around me, but I was also good at manipulating others to tell me their thoughts and feelings. This gift was intensified during my change, letting me peek into people's minds and emotions as well as blocking them from my own.

"Am I allowed to have my sight back anytime soon?" I asked as we wound around the workbench and Carlisle's Mercedes.

"Almost…Okay ready?"

"Yes." I said trying to hide my excitement; this must be good for Carlisle to get so worked up.

He released me from his hand and I had to blink twice at what was sitting in front of me. A smile crept onto my face as I realised that Carlisle had bought the two cars I had been looking at for the past two months.

"Is that…?"

"Yes Bella I thought since you were going back to school for us this time it was the least I could do." I launched myself into his arms.

"Thankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou. I can't believe you got me an Aston Martin V8 Vantage…"

"And a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640." He said looking happier than he had in months.

"Can we take them for a spin later?"

"Anything you want Bella."

"Do you want me to pick up a movie on my way back from school?"

"That would be good thankyou, I should be home about an hour after you arrive." He said looking at his watch. "You had better be heading to school Bella, wouldn't want to be late on your first day."

"What should I take?" I said smirking and looking at the cars longingly.

"Take the Aston Martin, at least here we don't have to worry about being conspicuous because of our choice of cars." He said smiling at my reaction and holding the keys out toward me.

"Thankyou," I whispered kissing him on the cheek and starting up the engine. "It's beautiful I said listening to the sounds of the car. I got in and sped off to the school Carlisle and I had driven past the previous day.

St Ignatius, my personal hell. I'd never have the opportunity for my soul to get there by itself so someone has brought hell to me. I parked my car at the front of the school's empty car park and walked to the administration building.

The smell of blood perfume and coffee hit me at once in the small air-conditioned room. A petite red head sat behind the front desk humming an annoying tune she had no doubt just heard on the radio.

"Hello my name is Bella Cullen, my brother called two days ago." I said smiling at the lady.

"Why hello dear, I'm Miss Tyler." she said her eyes going wide as she looked up at me for the first time, in her mind I could see my mousy face and brown hair, my skin glowed and my eyes were a bright topaz from having fed so recently. _My, what a stunning girl, I'm, sure she'll be very popular with the boys round here. Probably another rich snob though, shame that beauty, money and good personalities don't generally mix well._ "Let me just get your transcript dear and I'll send you in to see the headmaster." She said shaking her head as if her thought would disappear from the action.

"Thankyou." I said going to sit on the chair by the desk. 5 minutes later she came back holding my forged transcripts and led me towards the headmaster's office.

I already knew where I was going; this is the school I had attended thirty years ago, apart from a few upgrades it hadn't changed in essentials.

"Miss Cullen, welcome." Said a balding grey man I knew to be Headmaster Levers, he had been the new headmaster when I had left the last time.

"Hello," I said politely moving to shake his hand. "How are you sir?"

_This girl looks just like her mother did, I wonder if the boy bears any resemblance to Carlisle, such a well-mannered girl too._ "I'm fine thankyou Isabella, I was very sorry to hear about your parents."

"I think most people were sir." I had gone through this routine enough times to want to get this over with as soon as possible.

"What made you choose to move here dear?"

""My brother received a job offer for the local hospital so I needed to move with him from Florida, I had no other relatives to stay with there." I said as he pulled my transcript notes towards him and flipped through them.

"I see you were an Honours student, Miss Cullen." I nodded my head as he looked up. "Very impressive GPA, will you be continuing your Honours course here?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well, I can see that you will do just fine here, you have a flawless transcript and recommendations." _I've never seen such a perfect folio before._ He thought looking through it again before launching into a speech about school policies and Missions. Here I would have to do Religious Studies, even though I no longer believed in a system of faith I still had to learn about them.

By the end of his rant I was actually looking forward to the embarrassment of classes, the day already felt like it was half gone. "If you go back out to Miss Tyler I'm sure she has your schedule and a map of the school all ready for you, have a good day Miss Cullen."

Freedom, finally. I walked quickly from the room after saying my goodbyes and went to the front desk. As I passed several of the staff turned to look at me, the males in particular had very imaginative minds. It was an effort to stop a scowl forming on my face.

"Hello again dear, I've got your things all ready for you." Miss Tyler said as she handed me a small pile of papers. "This is your schedule, you'll be taking English lit, Spanish, Biology, Calculus, Shakespeare and Religious studies this semester."

"No Physical education?" I asked with an excited smile on my face.

"No dear." _Such a pretty girl_, she thought again. "Do I need to get someone to show you around for the day?"

"No need I think I can find my way, if not I'm sure someone will help me."

"Okay dear have fun." She said as I left the building.

I walked the halls with people watching me dubiously from the corner of their eyes; obviously they didn't get many transfer students here. I made my way to English arriving first even after the long talk with the headmaster.

The bell rang and the class filed in slowly, as I expected no one occupied the seat next to me. Although many of the boys in the room seriously considered it, I shut out their thoughts and moved to the front of the room.

Mr Johnson took my slip of paper, signed it and turned towards the class. "Everyone this is Isabella…"

"Bella."

"Sorry, Bella Cullen a transfer student from Florida."

Everyone looked interested, as if I were a caged animal at the zoo. I certainly felt caged here. One girl with spiky black hair sitting closest to me was almost bouncing in her seat as she looked at me.

I made my way back to my seat and settled in for the lesson, Mr Johnson came up and handed me a booklist. I had read them all already, when you had endless time you needed something to fill it. By the end of class I hadn't been told anything I didn't know, not that I had expected anything else.

As the bell rang the girl with black hair came and stood at my desk, it shook me at first, she was built like a pixie, short and petite and looked lovely for a human. What shocked me was the intensity of her scent, it hit me in waves. My control had been perfected over the centuries and I had never smelt anything as strong as this.

"Hi" she said in a cheery voice. _She's so pretty, imagine the makeovers I could give her._ "I'm Alice, your Bella I know. I saw you coming here. You moved into the Cullen house didn't you. It's very nice, apparently my parents knew the people that used to live there…" she spoke so fast I had to think before I started taking at my normal pace.

"What do you mean you saw me coming?" I said amused by the tiny girl in front of me. She quickly pursed her lips, _Oh no I did it again, I'm going to be thrown in an asylum if people think, I think I see the future._ She thought.

"Um I saw you in the hallway." She covered up and nodded smiling at her before making my way to the door. "You should come sit with my brother and I at lunch." She said squealing, quickly trying to take the focus off her.

"I don't know Alice." I started but she quickly turned to me looking like a sad puppy.

"Do you have a better offer?" she said pouting at me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed in resignation, "Fine but…" is all I managed to get out before she started bouncing again and hugging me tightly for such a small girl.

"Oh thankyou Bella. We'll have fun I promise. What do you have next?" she quickly turned serious. Does this pixie have multiple personalities?

"Ah Spanish," I said pretending to have to remember.

"Oh, sad." She said shrugging. And started bouncing down the hallway again, she turned back and motioned for me to follow.

Spanish flew past I had learnt all the languages that were offered here many times over. I walked into Biology and sat down at a table at the back of the lab. As the class filed one boy moved over to my desk.

"Hi, I'm Mike." He said holding his arms out for a hug; instead I went to shake his hand and almost laughed at the crestfallen look on his face.

"Bella," I said. This boy had been annoying me with his explicit thoughts all day. I keep wondering what he is doing in advanced placement classes, having seen him twice already.

The teacher settled everyone down and I turned quickly to notice a young boy with bronze hair and beautiful green eyes sitting next to me. More than that his scent hit me like a brick wall. If the pixie's scent was strong his scent was made of iron. I stopped breathing and made my way to the front of the room glad to be away from the temptation that was sitting next to me.

Mr Pullen didn't introduce me; his thoughts were … engaged. There are things that teachers should not think about their students. I continued to not breath as I made my way to sit back down.

The boy looked at me and I gave him what I hoped was a friendly smile. If only he knew what I wanted to do to him. I had only ever heard legends of people that had called to vampires this much. A singer, or La Tua Cantante was a very rare find for our kind. The smell was both torture and bliss at the same time; because of the lifestyle I chose I could not harm this boy. I wouldn't.

He leaned towards me, was he insane? "I'm Edward." He whispered shyly extending his hand towards me.

I put all my effort into lightly shaking his hand and breathing out. "I'm Bella."

"Nice to meet you," he said turning back to listen to the lecture.

Hell seemed to have turned into something worse as the seconds ticked by at a painfully slow pace. As soon as the bell rang I fled the room hoping that some fresh air would help clear my head.

I lined up and got lunch, a prop, the thought of eating that garbage was enough to make a person sick. Alice danced towards me and began to drag me over to her table, I could have easily stopped her but I thought it was better to just go along with her. Then I smelled it again; the sweet scent of pines that had filled my lungs in Biology.

I dug my heels into the ground and stopped, "Alice who is your brother?" I asked trying to keep the composure in my voice. I needed to breathe to be able to speak and the smell of the boy seemed like it would knock over either my body or my self-control, whichever gave out first.

"His name is Edward, he's really cool you'll like him." I stopped breathing as best I could with the onslaught of questions Alice began drilling me with and sat gracefully across from Edward.

"Hello again." I said smiling, thought I know he noticed my clenched teeth. He kept thinking he had offended me somehow, the poor thing if only he knew the truth.

I tried very hard to concentrate on the questions that Alice was asking, so as to take my thoughts off Edward. I would need to feed before I went home today.

Alice kept thinking how perfect it would be if Edward asked me on a date, and the shopping trips she could take me on. The torture doesn't end at school, the mall was also my personal hell, why man invented it I would never understand. Both Alice and Edward thought my odd behaviour was because I was shy, if only…

For most of the day I had blocked out the thoughts of the student body, only hearing particularly loud or vivid thoughts. However a sting of jealously shot through the room that I new belonged to that Mike boy. However it was short lived as the bell rang signalling next period.

The rest of the day was much easier having removed myself from the pixie and her brother I was able to get through the day without any bloodshed. As I walked down to the car park I saw a group of boys standing around my new baby. I quickly moved up to the car and unlocked the door before smelling Alice and Edward behind me and stopped. Out in the fresh air the smell wasn't as intense.

"Hey Bella, I just wanted to give you our number and ask if you wanted to go shopping with me tomorrow night?" Alice said bounding up to hug me goodbye past the boys that were looking in awe at the girl that owned their dream car.

"Um I don't really like shopping Alice," I said hoping that she wouldn't think that I was avoiding her.

She looked like someone had just slapped her in the face. Edward laughed heartily at his sister, the sound was beautiful; something I had never heard come from a human before.

"Alice is very … enthusiastic about her shopping." He said carefully looking at his sister who still had the same shocked look on her face. "It's mostly best just to agree."

I chuckled to myself, thinking that no one could hear me, _she sounds beautiful_. The thought came through my head and I looked up to see Edward staring at me with his emerald green eyes. "One hour Alice, that's all you get." I sighed getting in my car before she could hug me again.

"Thankyou Bella!" she said her face was ecstatic as she shouted which drew several people's heads. When I was younger attention like this used to bother me. However over the years, Carlisle and I had drawn so much attention that I had begun to lose interest in the matter.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." I said starting up the car, which drew even more attention towards me.

I quickly fed on the way home, finding a fox on the outskirts of town. Carlisle and I sat and talked until late into the night, when he was called by the hospital for an emergency surgery and our movie night was cut short. It had always been fun having Carlisle around we joked and laughed. The pranks stopped after the first decade of living together after I accidentally blew up the town plumbing we decided practical jokes were not my forte.

As he fled out the door he promised a games night tomorrow after the day was over.

Today had been a long day, unfortunately it seemed like it would be the first of many. And tomorrow seemed like it may be even longer.

As silence enveloped the house I was left to my own thoughts as I tried desperately to distract myself from the one thought that would not freely leave me. _Edward_.


	2. Chapter 2

Just to clear a few things up, Where You Least Expect It, is set in modern times. Bella is older than Carlisle by quite a while and both are friends with the vulturi. Bella has perfected her power so well that she can completely block out thoughts and emotions, but may hear a particularly loud one. There's a good reason why she has this power for later.

Thankyou for the people that reviewed, I was going to continue the story whether it was one person or a zillion that wanted me to. Well here's the next chapter, I hope you like it.

-xxx- Kat

I own nothing.

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Carlisle arrived home in the early hours of the morning moving straight up to his study and locking the door. I gave him his privacy, Carlisle often became very attached to the patients he worked on, it was hard on him when he couldn't help.

I walked to my room and sat down to read before I had to get ready for school, luckily it was Friday so I would have the weekend to recover from the horrors of St Ignatius. Soon enough the clock me it was time to leave for another day. I packed a bag and quickly left the house, checking on Carlisle as I made my way downstairs.

The lectures today weren't any better than yesterday, I found myself counting flecks of paint on the wall, or how many times the person in front of me would tap their foot on the ground.

Biology came all too quickly for me, I was determined to make Chicago work this time, for Carlisle's sake. He loved living here last time and I had forced him to move again after only six months.

As Edward entered the room I held my breath again trying not to take in any of the heavenly scent. He sat down next to me and offered a smell smile. I smiled back this time it seemed that he accepted my odd behaviour. After all I had barely said two words together whenever he was around.

"You know your sitting in my seat." He said suddenly, shocking me slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry did you want to swap." I said quietly hoping that I could get through the lesson with only the breath I had in me to talk.

"Nah I sat here by myself anyway so it didn't matter." He said obviously just trying to make small talk before the lesson began.

"Why?"

"Um, because I don't like sitting at the front of the classroom."

"No I meant why were you by yourself." It seemed to me that Edward and Alice would be the type of people that had to beat away friends like flies.

Edward just shrugged and turned to face the teacher that had just walked in. I accidentally took a small breath in and immediately clenched my fists digging my nails into my palms. I tightened my jaw and looked straight ahead not waiting for the bell to finish ringing before fleeing the classroom.

How had it come to this, I was running away from a human. I walked outside breathing in all the fresh air I could, I had to go back into the lunch hall and sit with Edward and Alice.

There had to be some way that I could stop lusting after his blood so much right? I have never felt such a pull towards someone's blood since I have chosen this lifestyle. Being a vegetarian isn't hard anymore I don't even notice the smell of blood in the hospitals, but this one boy could be the undoing of the lifestyle I have worked for centuries to uphold.

I whipped out my phone and called the only number on speed dial. Carlisle.

"Hello Dr Cullen's office, Judy speaking." He has a secretary?

"Hello, I'm Bella Cullen is my brother in by any chance?" I asked the lady on the other end of the line.

"Just let me check for you Bella," she said her tone was warm and inviting. I waited for less than a minute while the sounds of generic elevator music played over the receiver. "I'm just patching you through Miss Cullen."

"Um, thankyou."

"Hello?" I heard Carlisle's familiar voice come over the phone sounding concerned.

"I am dying here Carlisle… No I change my mind, I am drowning in that boys scent. It has been years…YEARS! Since I have craved anything this much Carlisle, he smells even better than the other one. I don't know if I will get through the day without slipping anymore, I HATE this feeling." I said punching the wall, making dust fly from the cracks above me.

"Bella, calm down. Nothing will happen, I have more faith in you than that, and I know that you have the same faith in yourself. Remember what you kept telling me when I was adapting to this lifestyle. You need to think of them as actual people or friends and it won't seem as hard."

"Yeah because it wasn't at all hard for you." I said mumbling into the receiver.

Carlisle chuckled and I wanted to throw the phone as hard as I could into the concrete.

"It's nice to have to help you for a change Isabella." He said sounding amused.

"Stop calling me that…ehk," I must really have sounded like a teenager to anyone who was listening at that point. I recomposed myself and began to rethink what I was saying. "What can I do Carlisle I can't even speak while he is around."

"Why can't you speak?" he asked as if I was a mental patient.

"Because that would generally require breathing."

"So breathe." Yeah, easy for you to say.

"I'm sure that the school would love to see me drain a human in front of them." I said quickly under my breath, low enough so that no human could hear me.

"We both know you wouldn't do that."

"Are you really willing to take that risk?"

"Fine then just start with small breaths every ten minutes until your body gets used to the smell."

"Will it work?"

"You'll just have to try and see won't you." He asked. By this time I was making my way to the lunch hall.

"Ok I'll try it at lunch. See you tonight?"

"Yes, I'll probably be home before you. You were shopping tonight weren't you?"

My eyes widened as I remembered. "Yes," I said resigned to the fact that Alice would not let me out of the engagement.

"Very well, I'll set up the games. Goodbye _Isabella_." He said quickly before hanging up. I glared darkly at the phone before pocketing it and walking towards Alice's table.

As I arrived at the table I took a small breath in hoping that it wouldn't be as bad as it had been before. The scent hit me like a mallet over the head. I concentrated on sitting down next to Edward and smiling at Alice as I sat across from her.

"Are you excited about this afternoon?" she asked smiling deviously.

"This afternoon?" I asked hoping she would have forgotten about my agreement to go shopping with her this afternoon. Of course I knew there was no such luck.

Her face turned down and she turned serious, "Bella you are still going with us … aren't you?" she asked menacingly for such a tiny girl.

"Yes Alice," I said taking another small breath. This one was easier than the last, but was still stronger than any scent I had smelt before. I scratched my nails into my leg as I felt Edward shake from holding in his laughter beside me.

He leaned into me and I couldn't help but take a breath in, my mouth filled with venom and a pulse shot down my spine, as he whispered in my ear, "Somebody's in trouble." Little did he know that he needn't get so close for me to hear him.

I shot a glare at him, before I heard Alice's tinkering laugh. "Don't you worry Edward, you're coming too." She said smiling innocently at the now downcast boy sitting next to me. I laughed loudly seeing his face as their amazed glances shot my way.

Half the hall had turned to face me, as I realised this was probably the first time they had heard me laugh since I had arrived here. I turned back to lice ignoring the rest of the humans, "Fine but we're taking my car."

The rest of the day passed quickly and before I realised I was back at my car. Alice came quickly down and hugged me while I unlocked the car.

"I'm so excited, right I need to take my car home first so I'm leaving you with Edward." There goes the split personalities again…wait Edward?

"What Alice…?"

"Come on Bella, you don't know the way and something tells me you might arrive before me." She said, _and she can finally talk to Edward properly_. I should have known there was more behind this girl.

Edward came up behind her and saw the shocked look, on my face. "Are you ok? You look like one of the looney tunes characters with your eyes hanging out like that."

"Um, I'm fine. So I hear you riding with me?" I took a small breath. A car ride, with just the two of us? I have changed my mind, this would be my personal hell. I licked my teeth and swallowed the venom that had coated them. The smell was torturous but I continued to take small breaths hoping that the more I took the faster this craving would end.

"Lets get this over with." I sighed as Alice chortled on her way to her own car. I turned to Edward, "Don't hurt my baby." I said patting the roof of the car and getting in hoping he would follow.

"Nice car," he said as I drove out of the parking lot, inconspicuously getting faster.

"Carlisle and I like to have our luxuries." I said still taking small breaths and winding down the window to make the proximity easier.

"Can I ask you something?" he said carefully, I turned to look at him and his eyes darted to the speedometer. He quickly changed his track. "Slow down!" he almost yelled realising that I was going well over 100mph.

"Where do I turn?" I asked ignoring his request. _This girl is going to get us killed_, I heard his thought yell and slowed down slightly to appease him. "Happy?"

"Travelling at this speed it's slightly better. Slightly." He said still looking a little shell-shocked.

"I like to drive fast." I said smiling taking another breath, the smell was easier to bear with the air whipping around. "What did you want to ask?" I said trying to get his mind off the speed.

"Oh…Um have I offended you in any way?" he asked sounding like he had been born early last century.

"No, how would you have done that?" I asked opening my mind to listen to him, for the first time in years I was intrigued by what this human was thinking.

_Why would I ask if I knew the answer?_ I chuckled to myself. "It just seems to me that you go tense and quiet whenever you are alone with me." He said carefully planning out his words.

My, this human was observant, I will have to keep an eye on him. "You haven't offended me," I said in a kind voice that had been practiced many times before. "I just don't talk to a lot of people."

"Why?" he asked looking a bit shocked. The expressions on Edwards face flash like lightning across his eyes I noted. _She seems really nice, it's sad she doesn't want to talk to anyone_. I felt sympathy roll off him. Why was this boy feeling sympathy for me?

I just shrugged off the question as I turned back to the road, he continued to question me as we made our way towards his house, one of his thoughts stuck in my mind as we left the car. _There's something different about her._ I would definitely have to look out for this boy.

Somewhere during the car trip I realised that may breathing had turned into a steady pace. Once the air had stopped rushing around my head I turned to the scent that had alluded me in the car. I licked my lips taking in another deep breath. We had beaten Alice home. There would be no one here to see if I just had a little taste.

More venom poured into my mouth and Edward turned around to look at me. _What colour were her eyes? I thought they were a goldy/brown?_ As this thought entered his mind my eyes widened as I saw the look I was giving him. It was disgusting that I was letting my thirst take over my body. I quickly swallowed and attempted to compose myself looking into his green eyes.

He's a person, with a family and an annoying pixie sister. He has friends and a life Bella. Remember when you were human. Of course I don't, that was centuries ago, any memory I have of my humanity is hazy at best. How could I think of taking such a person's humanity and leaving him to forget also? I ached at the thought of killing Edward, or worse giving him my fate. I took another deep breath in an attempt to calm myself as his scent hit me again. Damn it Bella, I scolded myself.

But this scent didn't hit me as hard as the previous. I could smell his rich and sickly sweet scent and the venom filled my mouth but my thoughts did not turn into the murderous thoughts I had before. I craved his blood but my head was not letting me kill him. Instead I ached for him as a twinge of jealously ran through me.

Why was I jealous of this human? I had Carlisle, we had a comfortable life, mastering almost anything we wanted to do. But we couldn't sleep, dream, eat. What did we really gain in this life. Stop it Bella! I said as we slowly walked up the path to his house.

"Alice should arrive soon." He said opening the door and leading me inside. The house was beautiful, the white and cream of the living room seemed to glow with the light that bathed it. The furniture looked as if it had come out of a modern living magazine.

"Does anyone even live in this house?" I asked jokingly turning to Edward.

He smiled and looked around. "Mum likes to decorate." He said sadly, walking down a hallway off the right of the room.

We stepped into the kitchen and he offered me something to eat, I politely declined. _I don't think she's eaten all day,_ he thought. This boy was observant wasn't he? I would have to be more careful around him.

I took a breath smelling only two scents in the house. Where were their parents, why couldn't I smell them?

"Ah Edward?" he looked at me as I spoke. "Where are your parents?" I saw a vision of his mother in a hospital bed flash through his mind.

"My father died." He said in a sad voice, memories of his father floated through his mind and pain coursed through him.

"Oh I'm very sorry." I said giving a human response to his confession. I moved to hug him, he realised giving me a confused look. The more physical contact I had with a person the easier it was to use my power. I hugged him holding my breath and attempted to ease his pain.

Such strong emotional pain was hard to move, he must have been hurting for many years in order to have such a deep aching. His pain became mine as our bodies joined, I found myself begging to be released from the pain. I felt every feeling he had felt for this death and eased the pain feeling his body relax against mine.

I took a breath in, I could feel the blood pulsing around his body and my control felt like it could slip at any minute. My face made its way to the crook of his neck and I could hear his blood singing to me. Pounding in his veins and taunting me, I licked my lips and opened my mouth as the sound and smell pushed me further forward. I heard a phone ring faintly in the background and felt Edward pull away. The movement jolted me from my trance and I grimaced at him before he went to pick up the phone.

I quickly ran out the back door to the national park, I needed something close and quick. I immediately found a small deer and drank it dry before sprinting back to their yard, I had been gone five minutes at the most and no ones seemed to have noticed from what I could tell Alice had arrived home and was changing. I could smell Edward he was close.

"Where did you go?" he asked from behind me and I whipped around perhaps too fast for a human. He jumps slightly at the sudden movement.

"Ah I was just looking around your yard, its beautiful out here." I said hoping that he would accept my answer.

_Yeah right_, he thought but nodded his head. This wasn't good, but I wouldn't make Carlisle move so soon after arriving in Chicago.

Before I could say anything I heard Alice moving closer through the house, "Oh Bella?" she sang. As she pranced through the kitchen and out the back door. "There you are I knew Edward would find you." She said dancing down to hug me. "Right lets go, so much to buy so little time."

She pulled me to my car and we got in ready to go. Edward sat in the back and Alice jittered next to me. "Belt up Alice, she drives like a maniac." I heard Edward whisper to Alice and peered into the back to see him staring at me with a smug grin on his face. _I knew she would hear me._

I panicked, how could he possibly know that? As if he was reading my mind he thought to himself, _her eyes give her away, she'd be a terrible liar._

I lie everyday of my life, I thought that I had gotten rid of that dreadful trait centuries ago. No other humans seemed to suspect my actions anymore, how could he have known?

We made our way to the mall, with Alice dramatically begging for her life in the seat next to me. However as soon as we arrived her face turned serious and she turned to Edward and I who had trailed behind her. "Right, we'll be moving fast so no dawdling, and if you're good Edward we may even stop in at your music store on the way out."

"What about me?" I asked looking hurt.

"You'll have plenty of fun silly." She said smiling brightly and turning to skip into the mall.

After 3 hours we had been dragged into what felt like every store in the mall and had been promised that it was the last store we would go into for the sixth time. I had been forced into outfit after outfit as if I were a Barbie doll and my arms were adorned with at least 20 shopping bags full of clothes. If I had been human I would have been falling down from exhaustion. I kept complaining about how much she was making me buy, not that I didn't have the money it was just unnecessary. Edward moved along quietly, sometimes laughing at my complaints or sarcastic opinions. Finally after visiting a music store for Edward, where Alice's shopping nature still shone through, we were released to leave.

"See didn't you have fun Bella?" she asked sounding slightly tired beside me.

"Yeah so much fun," I said sarcastically, raising my eyebrows and shooting her a glance.

Edward was stewing in the backseat of the car, he had attempted to figure me out the entire time we were at the mall, and luckily most of his theories were laughable. A secret agent? Honestly humans were so predictable. I have something much better than a sound bug.

I took Alice and Edward home and raced to my house, Carlisle should be home by now.

When I walked into the house I heard Carlisle moving papers in his office.

"Hello Carlisle," I said from the door. I heard him get up and move out onto the landing.

"Hello Bella," he said making his way downstairs. He looked at me and a crease appeared on his forehead. "Do you need to feed again?" he asked sounding confused.

"Is it that obvious?" I said sheepishly.

"Your eyes are pitch black Bella." He said studying me closely. _This boy must really be getting to her._

"Hunting?" I asked and he followed me silently out the door.

We were able to hunt further than I had been able to this afternoon and soon both Carlisle and I were full. We sat on a fallen tree letting our instincts unwind from our bodies.

"Carlisle do you know any of the patients at the hospital yet?" I asked wanting to know something about Mrs. Masen. He tensed up as I asked the question quickly thinking of anything else but the hospital.

He tried not to look at me and I raised an eyebrow for the second time today at his actions.

"Carlisle, what is it?" I asked not sure how anything in the hospital could affect me.

"I think maybe you should come with me for my rounds tonight Bella." He said still attempting to keep his mind occupied.

"Okay." I said carefully, we made our way back to the house and to ready to leave for the hospital. Upon arriving there I was introduced to several of the staff, who all smiled kindly to me even though many of the women wanted to shoot daggers at me for even being near Carlisle.

"Ok Carlisle, please tell me what's going on," I said in the hallway that led away from the nurses station.

He pointed to a room down the hall and I made my way to it curiously. As I opened the door I could smell a familiar scent that I hadn't smelt in thirty years. My eyes widened as I entered the room and a small voice came from the bed as I made my way into the room.

"Bella?" she asked. "How do you look the same as thirty years ago?" She asked with a slight rasp to her voice. I stayed quiet studying her face.

Lizzy.

She had grown older that was certain but time hadn't taken away the beauty of her face. I left so long ago I was sure she would have forgotten me by now. She was in hospital? I turned to Carlisle and he urged me forward.

"I'm sorry, I'm Isabella's daughter." I said moving forward to touch her shoulder. I felt a jolt of physical pain run to my heart and brain.

She barked a cough and motioned for me to sit down, "Of course you must be her namesake that Carlisle has told me all about. You just look so much like her, but of course you can't be the Bella I knew."

I smiled down at her and moved the seat she had offered. "How are you feeling Miss Angelo?"

Her face faltered and she studied me closely, "Angelo? Dear I was married shortly after you mother left. Call me Elizabeth." She said smiling gently at my face. "I knew your mother when we were in high school. And she was engaged to your father. She always knew what she wanted. They were married in the few months after they left here apparently." She said smiling at the memories.

For the next few hours she sat regaling tales that I remembered well, even where her memories were a little hazy. She seemed happy. By eleven o'clock she was dreamily speaking of the last week that I was in Chicago, a feeling of great sadness hung in the room as she remembered, I tried to comfort her as she fell quietly to sleep. I turned to the door.

"Carlisle." I said in a soft tone knowing that he would be able to hear me not matter where he was in the hospital.

I felt as if my body and heart was heavy from what had happened tonight. Carlisle was fond of Elizabeth when we had been here last, this must have caused the pain that he had been feeling.

I said goodbye to a sleeping Elizabeth, and as a left the room I looked over at the nameplate on the end of her bed.

When I looked at the name my heart fell even harder.

_Elizabeth A. Masen._

If I could have cried I would have broken down right there. We made our way back out to Carlisle's car and made our way home.

"What are her kids going to do Carlisle?" I asked breaking the silence that had masked the car.

"How did you…?" he started and I just shook my head.

"The Masen children took me shopping this afternoon." I offered and his face turned into a concerned expression.

"They are adults soon." He said, I could feel guilt fill the car like toxic gas as he said this.

I just turned out the window attempting to ease Carlisle feeling of guilt as we arrived home. Death was natural and for Carlisle and I it happened all too often. For this reason we didn't generally look to connect with humans that we met. They would be gone again before we knew what happened and we were not able to prevent it.

Weeks passed and I found myself visiting Elizabeth often. I had not yet run into her children, but had heard several stories of their childhood and lives on my many visits.

Alice and Edward had been introduced to Carlisle who had also heard many of the stories of them from Elizabeth. I had slowly exposed myself to Edward's scent. Every time I was away from him the scent became harder to bear, but I had slowly allowed myself to become desensitised.

Less than a month after we had arrived in Chicago Elizabeth's condition got worse. I was sitting in the room with her trying my hardest to ease some of the physical pain that was running through her body. She had cancer in both her brain and her heart, her situation had been getting steadily worse, but by this stage her physical pain was only added to by the turmoil she felt about leaving her children behind. Guilt, worry, concern, pain, anger, sadness and defeat ran through her as she thought of Edward and Alice.

I pushed the button to call the nurse and asked her to call Mrs. Masen's children, when Alice burst through the door. She ignored my presence and moved to her mother's side.

It can't come true. Please, please don't let this vision come true. Her face was composed but her mind seemed to be begging for her mother. "Hey Mum," she said in a small voice. I slid out of the room, past Edward who was looking down at his mother with tears staining his cheeks.

The anguish in the room was stifling and I walked into the hall to find Carlisle looking at me. _We need to talk_, he thought at me. I nodded following him to the lounge and sitting in the chair, feeling mentally drained.

_Just rip off the bandaid_, he thought and I looked at him confused. "Bella, I told Elizabeth that Alice and Edward were welcome to live with us if anything happened to her."

"WHAT?" I screamed. Causing several people to look at me. Carlisle looked scared and I sat back down and tried my best to be calm. "Carlisle, you can't do that!" I whispered angrily, "You know it's not safe. What are we going to tell them when they get older and we look the same…forever!"

"Bella they have no one else. Everyone needs to have someone to look after them." I sighed knowing he would not back down from the agreement he made with Elizabeth.

"And whose going to save them from me?" I asked in a voice so low and fast that none of the humans around would hear. "I could kill them in the blink of an eye. What if he cut himself. I can barely keep my bloodlust under control when I'm around him now. Would you want to see Edward dead?"

"Bella, you know better than I do that you would never allow yourself to hurt him. You must see that if you haven't bitten him by now it's very likely that you won't ever."

He got up and walked away. I looked around and followed him quickly. "Don't think that this conversation is over Mr." I whispered and he chuckled sadly as he walked away. I went home and got ready for the weekend. Late Saturday afternoon I got a call from Carlisle to come form the hospital. His voice was grave, I didn't need to be told the bad news to already know what had happened.

Elizabeth had died that afternoon, Alice was sitting on the chair in her room, looking like she had passed out form crying and Edward was sitting on the opposite side of the room in a very uncomfortable looking cafeteria chair. He looked up as I entered the room and his eyes were red from crying. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His bronze hair was a mess and his usually sharp features seemed almost dulled by his grief.

Later that evening a nurse came to wheel the body away. That would be the last time I would see Elizabeth. I was almost passing out from the emotions in the room. Edward tossed and turned in his sleep even while I sat with my hand on his to ease his pain. In his mind I saw dreams of his mother and a picture I didn't know had been taken of Lizzy and I.

He softly turned in his sleep and his dreams turned to me. I tried to block out his thoughts but they were so immersed with his emotions that his pain intensified when I did. Dream Edward was begging me not leave, just like his mother had years ago. I sat and tried to concentrate on easing his pain in order to give him privacy.

He woke slowly and looked at me before breaking down in tears again.

* * *

Sorry for the time skip, but it seemed as if the story would go far too slow if I did a day a chapter.

Let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I'm sorry that the last chapter was so sad, but i promise that there is a good reason for it. All will be revealed in due time.

I own nothing

* * *

The next week was spent organising the funeral and preparing Edward and Alice for the future. The funeral hall was filled to overflowing with people coming to pay their respects. Alice was sobbing the entire time next to me, my heart reached out to her when I felt the pain she was going through. I felt that if my heart were beating, every beat would be too painful to endure. However Edwards pain was worse, his face was a stone mask, trying to hide his feelings over his mother's early death, the grief he felt would knock over an elephant. His hands were permanently clenched and his eyes held no feelings, but the pain he was containing was agonizing, as if no comfort would be enough to take away the ache he felt.

Carlisle and I had taken the death of Elizabeth better than her children, having seen so much death over the centuries. Apparently Carlisle had done more than agree to just have Edward and Alice stay with us. An argument arose when I found the adoption papers for the Masens.

"Carlisle you can't just bring humans home, how did you get this sorted out so quickly anyway? What are we going to feed them? What are we going to tell them about us, surely they will notice that we don't sleep, eat, go to the bathroom or that we don't even have a heartbeat!" I said, getting angrier with each word I said.

"How would they notice that we don't have a heartbeat Bella?" He asked me. Of course he picks out the least likely point from my little rant.

"That's not the point Carlisle, they aren't lost puppies. They are humans! They wouldn't be able to handle anymore death Carlisle, we can't just pretend to be dead again. What are we supposed to do when they come back to see us after they move out of home and we are still the same age?" This argument had been going on for a week now.

"Maybe we should tell them?" If I weren't a vampire I would have sworn I had heard him wrong.

"Tell them? Carlisle you know the rules that the Volturi set down. You've spoken to them enough times to know that if we tell them we have two options. We either turn them or kill them. I will not damn them to this life Carlisle."

"Bella…"

"NO! Enough is enough Carlisle, they're good people. They deserve their lives."

"You know that we are going to have to tell them Isabella. It will be done by the end of the week or I will tell them myself. They move in with us tomorrow and I want you to make them welcome." His hard face softened as he finished his demands. Carlisle knew that if I didn't agree he wouldn't get his way. "Please Bella, they've been through so much, this may be a god send for them."

"If we turn them it's a fate worse than death Carlisle. What god would send them to us for that?"

"Do you really still believe that you are damned Bella?" This was the age long argument that not only Carlisle and I had, but Aro, Marcus and Caius had contributed to.

"What am I supposed to think Carlisle?" I said looking to the floor.

I felt a hand placed on my back and looked up to see Carlisle looking down on me. "Bella, the only reason our souls will never be judged before heaven is before we need to keep them with us here on earth."

"In punishment." I mumbled.

"Do you really consider your life a punishment Bella?" This is why I hate this argument, Carlisle always sounds right. He smiled knowing he had won for now.

"Lets go play pool," I said, quickly changing the subject and getting up gracefully from the chair to move down into the rumpus room.

"It's unfair you always win." Said Carlisle racing down and appearing at my side while I set up the table.

"It's my turn to pick the game." I said sticking out my tongue and moving around the table. I pulled out 100 dollars and placed it in the middle of the table staring smugly at Carlisle who pulled out his money and added it to mine.

"I'll win it back tomorrow anyway." He said. It wasn't the money that was important to us. We had more than enough; it was the gloating privileges that went along with the win. We played well into the night, only stopping when Carlisle gave up exclaiming his pride couldn't take another game of pool. This was the way we spent most nights, distracting ourselves with games or small arguments.

As morning light came I knew that Alice and Edward would arrive soon, I got their bedrooms ready. Carlisle would pack away most of their things while I talked to them about our situation.

I spent the morning shopping for food, not having eaten for several centuries didn't make the task particularly easy. When I arrived home Carlisle was waiting for Edward and Alice to arrive, I moved to the kitchen and packed away the shopping items. Our kitchens were mostly for show, we never had company so there had never been a need for Carlisle or myself to purchase any items for the kitchen. It looked different when it was filled with cooking utensils and food, oddly used.

I was done in less than five minutes and moved into my study, which was on the second floor next to my room at the end of the hall. Carlisle lived in the one of the bedrooms on the third floor and had moved his study up into the only other room up there.

That left the two spare rooms on my floor to be occupied by the new members of my family. I heard a truck moving down the road outside and called Carlisle down to help Alice and Edward move their things inside.

I walked out and saw them get out of the truck and look at the house. It was slightly smaller than their house but was big enough to accommodate everyone. They moved to get their bags and I stopped them and led them inside to show them around. Our house must have looked odd, filled with games and movies to keep Carlisle and myself occupied it would have seemed like a teenagers perfect house. My study was filled with books I had collected over the years as well as a computer and several of the documents I had needed in my professions and Carlisle's study held books and documents from our lives and his work. Alice loved her room, already planning where her furniture would go, I could hear Carlisle laughing downstairs taking notes of where to put her things. Edward was thinking about where his CD's would go, which made me worry whether or not he would have enough room here. The scent was intoxicating and I could feel my breathing begin to become shallow.

"Maybe we should talk before we get you settled." I said smiling to myself. We walked into the living room and I motioned for them to take a seat in one of the chairs. They sat in opposite seats and I opted to stand during my little speech. "Before you move in I think there is something that you should know about us." I said taking a deep breath.

I could tell my eyes would have been turning black, but my blood lust had been weakened with how much time I had spent around Edward the past weeks. "Do you watch any fantasy movies or read those kinds of books?" I asked hoping that they didn't believe we could be scared away with garlic, the things smelt horrible.

_What is she talking about?_ Edward was thinking, Alice seemed to be unconcerned by my talk, _I didn't think this one was a vision I thought I was imagining it._ She thought. She was thinking of these visions again. I hadn't had a chance to ask her about what she meant.

"Um yes I suppose we do as much as most people." Edward said politely, not voicing his confusion.

"Great," I said to myself, I pursed my lips trying to think of the best way to say this. "Have you heard of vampires then?" I asked, hoping to ease them into the conversation. Alice appeared to be getting more excited as I continued. _I knew it!_ She thought happily.

"Uh yes." They both answered as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"What do you know about them?" I asked hoping that they would just assume that we were vampires instead of me having to explain it to them.

"Um why?" Edward asked sceptically, "It's not like we're little kids we know they don't exist." He said. How wrong you are Edward.

I looked at him and decided maybe he needed a bit of a shock. I took off too fast for their eyes to see and appeared at Alice's neck, bending her head back and placing my teeth near her carotid artery.

She gulped loudly and I blocked out their thoughts, I didn't need to hear them screaming in my head. I moved to quickly sit down next to Edward, to him I would have just appeared as a blur.

"Are you sure about that Edward?" I asked smiling.

He just stared at me lost for words. And I felt Alice bound over and engulf me in a hug. "I knew it Bella, I saw this happening, although it didn't make it any less shocking. It's not everyday your friend tells you she is a vampire."

"You're a vampire?" Edward whispered the last word.

I had expected them to run away screaming but Alice was jumping up and down and Edward was sitting quietly with an amused look on his face, I listen to their thoughts and found Edward thinking that all his theories had been way off and Alice was going on about a vision again.

"Alice what vision?" I asked and she immediately stopped mid stride to face me.

"Excuse me?"

"You keep thinking about some vision you had." I said non-chalantly.

"You can hear my thoughts?" she asked timidly. This seemed to scare her more than the vampire thing.

"Yes Alice, now please tell me. I've been meaning to ask for weeks."

"Oh well I can see the future." She said offhandedly.

"You're psychic?" I asked shocked.

"You're a vampire?" she mimicked me and I just glared at her.

"What else can vampires do Bella?" Edward asked.

While I explained to Edward about our abilities they sat quietly taking mental notes about Carlisle and myself. Both of them seemed so accepting of the fact that a magical myth had been confirmed as fact right in their new living room.

"How old are you Bella?" Edward asked looking curiously at my face. I wanted to tell him I wasn't a piece of art at the museum but he stopped then and looked into my eyes. His green eyes smouldered as he looked at me.

"Old enough."

"Which is?"

"Well Carlisle is just over 360 years old." I said not wanting to alarm them right away.

"And you are?"

"A little older than him." I said looking innocently at them while they glared at me. "Fine! I'm 726 okay?" I said. Their eyes widened and I prepared myself for the panic and discomfort that was sure to wash over me at any second.

"That's so cool." Said Alice. "So when I become a vampire, will I be able to read minds too?"

"You're not becoming a vampire." I said shortly and finally as Carlisle entered the room obviously hearing the conversation from upstairs.

"Why?" both Edward and Alice asked. I looked around at them amazed. How could they want this?

"Because I said your not and that's final. And Alice don't even bother asking Carlisle, it's not going to happen." I said hearing her thoughts. I swiftly made my way form the room and could hear Carlisle trying to explain my strange behaviour to the new members of the family.

I spent the rest of the day in my study reading or making notes, anything to keep my mind distracted when I heard someone approach my sanctuary. I could smell Edward on the other side of the door and opened it before he reached up to knock.

"Hi," he said meekly. I just glared back and stepped to the side to let him in. The office was beautiful, all the walls except for the one with the window were filled with books. In front of the window sat a brown leather sofa, and in the corner a small computer desk held my computer and other important documents.

"I'm sorry about before." He said sitting down on the sofa. "We didn't mean to offend you, but it's not everyday you meet a vampire."

I nodded opening my book again while he continued.

"Carlisle said you won't even consider it. Why?"

"Becoming a vampire isn't just a passing fancy Edward. Once you're bitten it can't be undone. You'll be damned to this life and have no one to blame but me. I didn't have the choice. And ok it's a nice idea in theory, getting to live forever, the whole heightened senses and instincts thing but I can assure you it isn't as great as it sounds."

Edward nodded looking down at his shoes contemplating something. "You want my blood don't you?" he asked suddenly. I had known the question was coming but I hadn't expected him to be so blunt about the topic. "That's why you are always so tense around me." He accused looking straight into my eyes.

I nodded and looked to the ground ashamed. He moved around to hug me and kept sending me soothing thoughts. Now that they were part of the family I would try to block them out of my mind the best I could.

"It's okay you know," he said kindly making me feel even worse with how well he was taking my want to kill him.

I just shook my head and left the room before he could say anything else. Before I closed the door I could swear I felt sadness, sympathy and love in the room.

I ran, from the house and the people in it. Running at human pace was a bother I felt as if I wasn't getting anywhere at all so I turned around and walked slowly back to the house. I walked through the back door hopping the steps up to the kitchen and stopped short when I smelled something foul coming through the doorway. I held my breath and walked in slowly seeing Alice standing with a pot on the stove in front of her.

"You could at least make something that smells good." I said watching her whip around to face me.

She smiled quickly and turned to the pot. "Well for all of the humans in the house it smells fine thankyou. Anyway it's Edward that's the master cook, I can only make things like toast."

"Then why are you stirring the pot?" I asked not letting the temptation of peeking into her mind take over.

"Edward needed to do something upstairs, he's been gone for a while now, but I don't want to stop stirring in case I ruin it." _Can't you imagine his face Bella?_ She thought to me. I nodded and headed up to the second landing.

I turned towards Edward's room and started making my way to the door before stopping myself. What was I doing? Why did it bother me that he was holed up in his room at the moment? The floorboards didn't make a sound under my feet as I walked forward again this time making it to the door and knocking.

"Come in," I heard from inside the room and slowly pushed the door open to reveal Edward lying on his bed with one ear plugged into his MP3.

"You left a pixie in the kitchen. They make a mess you know." I said sarcastically going to sit on the end of his bed. The room felt odd, as euphoria started to overtake my emotions. "Happy about something?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

He just sent me a beautiful, crooked smile, "I'll go take care of that pixie problem for you Ma'am." He said kneeling down in front of me like a knight before getting up and walking out the door, chuckling the entire way down to the kitchen. I just rolled my eyes and went upstairs to find Carlisle.

I knocked on the door and slid into the room. Carlisle was working with his head down at his desk, the small lamp was the only light in the room and his hand was whizzing across the page he was writing on. I stood looking around the study waiting for him to finish. With the curtains drawn the room felt small, with an enormous antique desk in front of the window the room felt too small for one person let alone two.

"Monopoly?" he said finally looking up from his work.

"Stakes?"

"Whatever is in the free parking."

"You're on." I said smiling walking over to him and dragging him down the stairs. While Alice and Edward finished making dinner and ate we started a game, playing at our speed we had a winner in under an hour when Alice and Edward walked into the living room and saw us playing.

"Ooh, are we playing a game?" Said Alice bouncing on her toes next to Edward, she moved quickly forward and took her place on my left side picking the hat up from the box.

I handed Carlisle the money that I owed him, he had beaten me as promised stupid board game. I motioned for Edward to come and sit down also. The atmosphere significantly picked up and he came to sit down. He picked up the car and placed it at go with the rest of our pieces.

"Carlisle you go first." Alice piped up ready to start the game.

"Aren't we supposed to throw to see who goes first?" He asked looking amused.

"Ehk fine." We each rolled the die; of course Carlisle rolled the only twelve.

After 2 and a half hours Edward and Carlisle were the only two left in the game. Alice sat next to me studying me intently, while I tried to read the latest Medical Journal, Carlisle had brought home.

"Why are you reading that?" she asked, looking confused as to why I was interested in the journal at all.

"It's always helpful to keep up with the latest developments and techniques, don't you think Carlisle?" I asked getting only a nod in response. Men and their games. I turned back to Alice seeing the confused face that still graced her features, "Earlier this century, when women were allowed to pursue better careers Carlisle suggested that I attend medical school, blood didn't bother either of us so I became a doctor and worked with Carlisle when I could." I explained seeing her features soften in understanding.

"Hey, since Edward and I just moved in, do you think we could do something tomorrow?" she asked looking innocent.

"Like?"

"Well I thought since you live so close to the mall, why not take advantage of it." She said bursting at the seams as she said this and crawling over to me with a pout on her face. "Please Bella?"

Carlisle chuckled next to me and I turned to glare at him. "You want me to drag you into it?" I asked fast enough that neither Alice nor Edward would hear. He shook his head and I turned back to Alice. She had a sad look on her face and was still pouting at me, "Fine." I growled out now hearing Edward chuckle. "Maybe since we are going all day we'll need someone to carry the bags?"

Alice's eyes lit up and she skipped over to Edward, "Would you Edward? Please, please, please? How can you deny your only sister?"

He looked over at me feeling unsettled, why were his emotions going haywire today? I could still feel the grief in both Edward and Alice, although they wouldn't talk about it, they still felt it. But there was such a range of emotions that they both felt that I felt slightly unnerved. All of a sudden a blank feeling crossed through me and I looked around the room, the liveliness and grief that I had felt from Alice had suddenly disappeared and I saw her staring into the top corner of the room as if a spot on the wall had caught her eye.

I opened the block in my mind and searched for Alice, her thoughts were still there, I saw a blonde woman walking away from her, and then her emotions came rolling back into the room.

"Um Alice?" she looked as if I had startled her out of a daze and looked into my eyes as if she was searching for something she knew she wouldn't find. The thought made me uncomfortable as if she were looking into the depths of my mind.

"Sorry, um Bella you wouldn't happen to know a lady named Rose would you?"

My eyes widened and I instantly turned to Carlisle, he just looked at me and shook his head. This isn't the time Isabella. I felt as if my heart had sunk as she mentioned Rose, how could she have seen her, was she coming back?

Alice came to sit next to me on the couch and I just looked at the coffee table in front of me. "Carlisle and I met Rosalie many years ago, I can't imagine that she'd want to see us again." I said through gritted teeth. Alice put her arm around me as I felt concern coming from both Alice and Edward. Edward seemed to be in pain as I sat there and I looked up at him to offer him a smile. He smiled back and instantly felt embarrassment. I wanted to know what he was thinking but I knew that I needed to give both he and Alice their privacy so I settled back in the couch and pulled the remote towards me.

Next to me Alice was nervously playing with her hands and glanced in my direction avoiding eye contact. "What is it Alice?"

"We'll have a visitor later today, she's really pretty can we take her shopping too?"

I thought about what she said and all of a sudden I understood, Alice had a vision, the blonde in her mind was Rosalie. Why would she come here? I shook my head and walked quietly into the kitchen. I sat down at the island and held my head in my hands. No one spoke a word after I left the room but I could feel someone getting closer to the kitchen…Edward.

I felt him slide into the stool next to me and he watched my face intently. The sympathy he felt for me was stifling. "You don't have to sit here you know."

"Figures, of course you wouldn't want the attention." I creased my eyebrows in frustration. Attention came with what I was; I couldn't escape it even if I wanted to.

"Not much you can do about it." I said picking at a spot on the bench in front of me.

"Bella." He said taking my hands and trying to turn me to face him, I conceded and looked at him. His eyes pierced me just as Alice's did, their green eyes seemed hypnotising and I found myself unable to look away. "You can tell me if something's wrong, you know."

"There are some things you don't want to hear Edward. We're monsters, there are things we've done … that I've done, that would make you run away screaming."

"You're not a monster." He said, his voice was so kind and comforting that I wanted more than anything to believe him, but I knew differently. "How could someone so good, be a monster?"

"Do you even know what a vampire is?" I hissed at him. I expected him to flinch away in fright, but he stood his ground and continued to look at me.

"You need blood to survive," he said matter-of-factly.

"That doesn't make it right."

Why was he arguing with me about this? "Bella you chose a good lifestyle. Both you and Carlisle are good people. Vampire or not you are both excellent people. You can't condemn yourself because you need blood to survive Bella. Alice and I both eat meat, it's exactly the same thing."

His hands had moved to my shoulders as he tried desperately to make me believe his words. I could feel the sincerity seeping out of him, through his eyes and fingertips. I took a deep breath inhaling his luscious scent and just nodded looking anywhere but at his face. He stood up and walked closer to me, enveloping me in a hug, "What's wrong Bella? Please tell me." His voice sounded sad and his emotions were going haywire again. Sadness, sympathy, contentment, elation, what was wrong with him? How could one boy feel so much in one instance?

"You'll find out soon enough." I said feeling his disappointment at my answer.

"Do you have a favourite animal?" he asked out of the blue.

I looked at him, seeing the seriousness on his face I smiled and shook my head. "To eat?"

He shrugged and rolled his eyes, "Of course you would see a meal when you look at animals."

I just laughed and heard Edward's breath catch as a new wave of intrigue hit me. "Tiger, before they became endangered Carlisle and I would go over to Asia and Africa on hunting safaris." He still wasn't breathing.

I placed a hand on his cheek, "Breathe Edward." I said feeling a small amount of lust mixed in with the embarrassment that filled the room.

I caught a new scent and knew instantly that Rosalie would arrive within minutes. Alice yawned in the living room and I turned back to Edward. "Maybe you guys should get some sleep before tomorrow's shopping trip," I said seeing that his eyes also seemed tired from lack of sleep.

He nodded and started to make his way from the room. "Thankyou for that by the way, you know I will have to get you back now."

"Bring it on human boy."

Shortly after Alice and Edward had made their way upstairs I heard Rosalie's footsteps outside and went to get the door before she rang the bell. I opened it to see her stunning face looking at me with a frown, with very quickly turned into a glare as she made her way into the house without a word. This would be a long night.

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This chapter was so different to how I had planned it, but i hope that you like it. Of course even in an alternate universe Rose still isn't a fan of Bella's, again I have my reasons.

I am almost finished the next chapter as well so it should be up on Wednesday at the latest.

Kat -xxx-


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys,

as promised here is the next chapter, i hope you like it.

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Rose made her way into the living room to see a stunned Carlisle looking up at her. He stood and gently kissed her on the cheek before motioning for her to sit down. She glided as she went to sit down and turned to Carlisle.

"It's very surprising that you've come to see us Rosalie."

"I expect it would be," she said with acid. "I came to deliver these." She said handing torn photographs to Carlisle before turning back around to face me as I sat on the armchair across from where she sat. "How dare you? Why would I want to remember that?"

"One day you'll want to remember Rose. You can't let all of your memories fade away, I can barely remember anything. I don't want you to have to live without the memories of your life." I looked sadly at the photographs of Rose's family that Carlisle still held in his hands.

"Well you seem too have an eager interest in what's best for me, don't you Bella?" sarcasm dripped off her voice as her eyes became slits. "I bet you intend to change the humans that are sleeping upstairs don't you? Will they have a choice or will you decide for them as well?"

"I gave you a choice Rose."

"I WAS DYING! How was I supposed to make a choice? I either died, or lived forever as a monster. At that moment anything was better than the pain I was going through Bella."

"At least we gave you that option, even if you were dying, I never had that. I had no choice in the matter, I was healthy and happy, and in one night everything was taken away from me. We offered you a life Rosalie and you chose to take it." We were both yelling now and I could hear stirring upstairs. I looked to Carlisle who quickly stood to go and calm down Alice and Edward.

Rosalie heard it too, lowering her voice, her intense gaze trained on me, "And that makes it alright does it? Three days of agony and an eternity of suffering, do you really think that it makes it alright?"

Rosalie had responded to the change badly, physically she was as strong as any of our kind, but her heart and mind suffered at what she had become after her change.

Carlisle and I had found her on the street in Rochester, we had heard for weeks of the Hale girl and her betrothal. The town seemed thrilled with the match between Miss. Hale and Mr. King. But the night we found her, she was broken physically and emotionally. She had bruises over most of her body and breaks in her hands and left arm, her feet were cut from running the gravel road and her clothes were torn, she also had a head wound that had bled profusely over the dirt and gravel of the road. As we approached her she whimpered away from us and flinched at the slightest touch.

After taking her back to the house she had a choice, she had lost enough blood and the damage to her body was so extensive that she would die by the time she was taken to the hospital. That night she chose our life, I had to leave the house from the physical pain I felt as she underwent the change Carlisle called me when it was complete and I came back to the house. Immediately after I arrived I was pinned to the wall a pair of crimson eyes staring intently into mine. She would never understand what had led me to give her this life. Her mind was clouded with hate and disgust. Rosalie left within the week and Carlisle and I retrieved a few of her things and kept them at the house in case we ever needed them.

Fifty years had already passed since that day and I felt that she would need something to remember where she came from, looking at the torn remains of the photographs I had sent her I was wrong.

Rosalie saw me looking at the pictures, "Why would I want to remember them?"

"So that you know where you came from, all I remember are vague details. Outlines of something bigger and better … and something I will never remember again. You deserve better, you deserve to remember Rose. To know where you came from and who you were, you may never forgive what I've done to you but at least this way you can still hold on to some of your humanity."

"I don't want some of it, I want all of it."

"What would be left of it if I had let you die? You were a good person Rose, you didn't deserve to die!"

"So I deserved this life instead? Taking the lives of innocent creatures just because the burn in my throat tortures my existence. To live forever with nothing to live for?"

I had nothing to say, she was right I had taken everything away from her. Her feelings were justified and yet I couldn't do anything to make amends for what I had done to her. An uncomfortable silence engulfed the room.

"Then search for something." I was startled by Edward's voice at the stair's entrance.

"It's not that easy boy. You wouldn't understand our suffering. You've lived … what? 17 years, how can you live for something, only to know that in another 50 or so years it would be gone again?"

I could feel Rosalie's annoyance and anger amplifying and I stood and made my way over to Edward. "It's okay, why don't you head back up and get some sleep, we'll try to keep it down."

He shook his head, his eyes pleading with me to let him stay. I rolled my eyes and motioned with my head for him to sit down, he felt uncomfortable as he passed by Rosalie to sit on the couch beside the fireplace. I went to sit next to him feeling him scoot a little closer as I sat down.

Rose was staring at her hands, tapping the skin on the back of her hands, tracing the lines of the veins where her blood once ran through.

"Rose please," I said pulling her out of her reverie. "I'm sorry that giving you this life has caused you so much pain, but I can't take it back. You can still have a good life, sure we miss out on a few human experiences, but we can experience things that they never will. What human can feel the rush of air as they run faster than the wind? What human can appreciate the scent of one rose petal in amongst the smog of the city? We have time Rose, unlimited time, time that they will never have. I've lived hundreds of years, and yes it's sad to see some things that you love disappear, but you get to see the birth of new things.

"I can't force you to see that this life is still worth it, you have to realise on your own. It took me a long time to realise that we can still be good people, we just have a heavy burden to bear. It's not an easy life Rose, but it's rewarding, we get to see people change and grow. We can still have fulfilling lives, we just miss out on a few things, and gain a few others." I felt Edward rubbing circles into my back and I relaxed into his touch letting him calm me.

"How can you be so sure?" she said sounding defeated.

"Because, I'd rather live in hope, than with hate and anger. I'd rather hope that we have a purpose and a reason to live, than to believe that I was given this life out of spite. This life is a punishment at times, just like every human's is, if they have a purpose then why don't we? You have to have something to believe in Rose, otherwise you just walk around aimlessly. What have you done for the last 50 years?"

Her shoulders tensed as I said this, and I could hear her mind carefully planning and calculating her answer. Rosalie's thoughts had changed dramatically throughout the night, especially after Edward had entered the room.

By sunrise Edward had fallen asleep again with his head resting lightly on my lap, absentmindedly my fingers went to stroke through his hair while he slept. Rose had left the room to speak with Carlisle, her anger was concentrated mostly on me, I had ultimately made the decision to change her. I won't make that mistake again.

I looked down at Edward, a slight smile graced his lips as he slept and his breathing was deep. I closed my eyes and let his breathing fill my senses; it was comforting to feel his contentment as he slept. His thoughts and emotions weren't weighed down like they were when he was awake. While he slept he could escape, a luxury I lost long ago. As the time for school came nearer I decided to wake the sleeping human.

"Edward." I shook him, how could he sleep so soundly on the couch like this? "Edward."

I got a groan in response and his arms flew around my waist. "Ahem." I said loudly.

He peeked open one eye and looked at me sheepishly, "Sorry. Is there any coffee in this place?"

"Sure I'll go put some on while you start to get ready, you're sister would kill us if we shortened her shopping trip." He made no attempt to move, merely nodding his head. "You have to let me go if you want that coffee you know."

"Right, sorry." He said feeling flustered and quickly moving from the lounge and making his way upstairs.

I rolled my eyes and made my way to the kitchen, putting on some coffee and running upstairs to shower and change. Alice had placed my faded denim skirt and an orange tank top on my bed along with some classic jewellery she obviously deemed reasonable. I was back downstairs before the coffee had finished brewing and sat in the stool at the island when Rosalie walked into the kitchen.

"Carlisle offered for me to stay." Right Carlisle is banned from bringing home anyone, human or otherwise from now on.

"Of course he did," I muttered, making her feel uncomfortable.

"I won't stay if you don't want me to." There was no venom to her voice this morning, instead she sounded … sad. Her emotions revealed slight abhorrence, but mostly she was depressed and regretful.

"Why would you even stay Rosalie?" I could hear Alice coming into the room, I quickly poured two cups of coffee and stood at the door handing them to her before she could come in the room. "Go upstairs and take this to Edward." My voice was cold and Alice merely nodded and bounded back up the stairs.

I turned to Rose waiting for an answer. "You don't want anything to do with me, and yet you're considering staying here?"

She hung her head, "I guess Carlisle just made me realise that you suffer as much as I do. I never thought about the fact that you hadn't wanted this life either, I just… I just felt like I needed someone to blame." She looked like she would have been crying if she could, her body shook from sobs and tears that wouldn't fall glistened in her eyes.

"None of us choose this life Rosalie, and if any did they wouldn't understand just how much they were giving up. Stay if you want, I have to go shopping." I said pointing at the roof. I started out the room, "Oh and don't touch my cars."

I heard her chuckle and I shook my head. Carlisle had asked her early this morning what her interests were and she had revealed a passion for cars. I'm a sucker when someone is in need. "Let's go." I called to Edward and Alice hearing them fly down the stairs. Rosalie stepped out of the kitchen and Alice turned to look at her.

I heard her gasp. "Are you coming shopping with us? Imagine the clothes we could get you."

"Alice you are not playing Barbie with our guest." I hissed.

Rosalie just laughed and I turned to look at her, I hadn't heard her laugh before, the smile that graced her face lit up her features and made her look like a goddess. I snuck a look at Edward wondering what he thought of Rosalie. She was beautiful; I couldn't imagine any man … or woman, thinking otherwise. But his eyes were trained on me and I could feel a good deal of lust coming from him.

Not wanting to embarrass him I tried to forget it and hurry along the meeting. "Rose this is Alice, and you met Edward."

She smiled down at the pixie and took her up on her offer to go shopping. We walked to the garage and I heard Rose trying to guess the car I had. Car? As in singular? How little she knows. Older model cars were flashing through her mind, I just shook my head and smirked to myself. When she saw the five cars lined up in the garage there was a sharp intake of breath and I felt the atmosphere in the garage become excited.

"I said before, don't touch my cars."

"These are all yours?"

"The three end ones," I said pointing, "So don't touch."

I moved over to get into the Lamborghini seeing the three of them follow me. We made it to the mall in record time and I parked in the staff lot, handing the security guard a hefty tip before making my way inside.

Alice immediately dragged us into the first clothing store she saw running over and picking up almost everything from the racks, handing some to Rose and I while Edward stood back laughing to himself, I shot him a look and he tried to stifle his laugh. After Alice had picked out the outfits we were to try on we were led to the changing rooms, Edward sat on a chair outside while we changed into different outfits, Alice always peeking her head out making notes on the clothing and tossing Edward the outfits that we would purchase.

As I was halfway through changing into a navy blue dress; that cut down at the front, bunching in the middle of my chest and stopping just above my knees. I heard a knock on the door. "Someone's in here."

"Bella open the door."

"Edward."

"No Pierce Brosnan, yes it's Edward." I opened the lock and he flew into the dressing room locking the door behind him.

"Uh Edward … What are you doing?"

"The shop assistant keeps looking at me." He said and I just laughed at him, "What?"

"If you don't know I'm not telling you."

He turned around to look at me and stopped breathing. "Breathe Edward, am I going to have to give you a cassette that reminds you every few seconds?"

"You look beautiful in that dress Bella," he said, I would have blushed if I was still human, instead I lowered my eyes and stared at the buttons on his shirt. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about Bella, you would make many women very envious of you if you ever went out in that."

I could feel the tension and lust building in the room, and I was surprised that some of the lust was coming from me.

"Thankyou." I said ducking my head again, but he placed his fingers under my chin and attempted to life my head. I followed the motion of his hand and looked into his eyes, his usual brilliant green eyes had darkened and were smouldering entrancing me, I could feel his desire and my mind went into overdrive.

What am I doing? He is a human, but this eyes were drawing me further in.

"Bella? Have you seen Edward I think he bailed."

"Uh yeah Al, he was just giving me his opinion on the dress, I said opening the door and walking out to have her inspect me.

She nodded approvingly and turned to Rosalie discussing the dress I was wearing, I wasn't listening though, and instead my mind was filled with thoughts of Edward. What had just happened? How could I have let something like that happen? It wasn't blood lust I had felt in the dressing room, that feeling was different. I turned and quickly got changed.

Four o'clock came and I ended up carrying Alice out into the car, I was not shopping for another minute. Rosalie walked lightly along behind us and Edward laughed at his sister's obvious annoyance at being made to leave. We were already carrying 24 bags between the four of us and she still wanted to buy more? We made it home and Alice went upstairs to put everything away in our rooms. After that she came down and started dinner with Edward.

"Do you want to come hunting with me Bella?" Rosalie asked and I looked at her sceptically. "You don't have to."

"Sure, anything you feel like?"

"Deer?"

"Okay let's go then." We ran out of the house and made our way to the nearest forest just outside the city. After about an hour we had found 2 deer each and were sitting on the ground in the middle of a small hollow of trees.

"I'm sorry Bella." Rose said looking sad again.

I turned her and couldn't help but feel apprehensive, even though her emotions were sincere. "You don't have to say that Rose, I don't care if you hate me, there's nothing I can do now."

"I didn't realise that you could have such a good life, today when we were with the humans. It felt so … normal, as if I was one of them again. As if I wasn't missing that much, you know. I was happy."

"We tried to show you that before Rose."

"I know, but maybe I just needed to feel it, to be able to really understand. When I saw you with Edward I just felt as if maybe I could find something, or someone to live for."

"Edward? What are you talking about?"

"Oh please, it's obvious you love him."

"Love him?" I choked out. "How could I love him, I barely know him, I met him less than three months ago."

"Love doesn't take time, it happens in an instant, what takes time is our ability to come to terms with it."

"You can stay with us if you want Rosalie." I said, seeing a grin spread across her breathtaking features.

"Thankyou Bella, I'm so sorry."

"I change my mind, you can only stay if you stop apologising." She smiled at me and hugged me tight.

"Thankyou." She whispered just loud enough to hear. For the rest of the night we talked, trying to resolve our problems and sharing parts of our lives with each other.

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I'm sorry it's so short, but this chapter is really heavy and I didn't want to overdo it.

I love Rose in the book, even though she acts like a bit of a bitch, she has good intentions and doesn't want Bella to give up everything that she always wanted to keep. But i think that she will understand if Bella does go through with the change.

ciao  
Kat -xxx-


	5. Chapter 5

I am so so sorry, I have no excuses or reasons, I just had no inspiration to write. I'm currently stuck on my other story as well so I need to try and pump out a chapter for that and push past the mental blank I keep drawing up.

Thankyou so much for your reviews, I'm sorry I didn't send a quote for this chapter and if I didn't reply I was probably just buzzing through my e-mails at the time.

Please let me know how you think the story is going, I'm a bit concerned and I'm not sure whether or not I like it. Does it need more dialogue? or anything? I would greatly appreciate any input anyone has.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the fabulous woman that gave us Edward Cullen. Stephenie Meyer.

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Rose and I lived together well, we managed to share my bedroom to begin with, eventually she moved into my study and I shared with Carlisle. She enrolled in school with us, the students reaction made me take a few days off, mental images of things that I did not ever want to see of Rose flashed through my mind every time I passed the hall with her.

We had slowly become good friends over the next few months, getting to know each other little by little. It started off with small awkward conversations, what's your favourite colour? And simple games of 20 questions, and after a while we had eventually exhausted all these topics and began to get to know each other properly, I learnt everything she had done for the last 50 years and found out about her experiences as well as sharing my own.

About a year after we had moved to Chicago, we began planning for the holidays, staying hidden as best was possible. Christmas was a big affair, lights decorated our entire house, a huge Christmas tree stood in the living room, taking up the space in front of the unused fireplace.

The tree was hung in silver and gold baubles and fastings. Carlisle placed our angel on top of the tree on Christmas eve before we exchanged gifts.

"Why do you and Carlisle celebrate Christmas?" Alice asked as we packed away the decorations and talked about other traditions that we kept to from years past.

"It helps us to keep some of our humanity. To remember the spirit behind the holiday, even some humans don't fully understand that Christmas is about the things you have, the family you have and about hope, because if nothing, you humans have a lot of hopes and wishes."

"What do you hope for?" Edward asked from where he sat behind the upright piano we had brought over from his house.

"Something I can't possibly have," I said staring into his beautiful green eyes. "And yet my entire being hopes for it." You Edward I hope for you, I wanted to say, but at the same time I didn't want to scare him.

I had gotten over my thirst for Edward now, although I still didn't trust myself entirely. The months I had spent attempting to control myself around him had paid off, and I was able to exist quite comfortably around Edward. Instead my craving had moved onto his company, his voice, any touch I could manage. I wanted nothing more than for Edward to be my mate, but I didn't want to risk the same reaction that had come from Rosalie's change. My heart couldn't bear it if he left.

Carlisle had said to me that the kind of change that Edward and Alice were making on our lives was irreversible, especially if I was considering Edward as a mate. After a long discussion of him attempting to convince me to tell Edward of my regard for him he left me to ponder. How was I supposed to tell him something like that? He's a human, a completely remarkable human, and once the novelty or vampirism wore off he would see me as an ordinary creature.

"What do you hope for?" I asked trying to take the attention off me. I felt a comfortable feeling of love settle in the room. That couldn't be what Edward feels for me, he knows what I am. It's not possible.

I sat and listened Alice's explanations of her hopes for the future, becoming particularly annoyed when she expressed her hopes of becoming a vampire. After Rose had settled in to the family she expressed an understanding of Alice and Edward's desire to be changed. At first it caused many arguments through the house, so the subject had been tabooed.

As Edward and Alice slept before Christmas tomorrow, Rose and I had volunteered to cook.

"Hey, do you know how to use the beaters?" I asked, I had not cooked since I was human, and was particularly out of practice with kitchen appliances.

Rose just snorted and looked curiously at the machine. "I think you press this button." She said pressing a three on the side of the machine. It immediately buzzed to life, causing us to both jump back in surprise. We burst out laughing after seeing it slowly mix the ingredients for the cake. "Well I guess that answers that question."

"Do you even remember cooking like this?"

"Pfft, I haven't cooked in the last 50 years, I didn't think that would change anytime soon."

"Let's just hope they can eat it." I said sticking some batter in my mouth. YUCK!

After hours of checking temperatures, basting, boiling and brewing everything looked as if it was edible. Whether or not the humans would enjoy it was another question. The cooking process was made hard by our lack of taste for the food, and it's particularly unappealing scent.

At first dawn we heard the patter of footsteps upstairs and started snickering while rolling our eyes at each other. We could hear groans and complaints coming from upstairs and as Alice came down the stairs pulling a particularly dishevelled looking Edward I had to put a hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing out loud.

His bronze hair fell messily around his eyes and his eyes still bore signs of sleep, yet he was still as beautiful as ever. My fingers itched to run through his smooth looking hair and across his skin. Behave Bella.

"Merry Christmas." Alice sang and Edward grumbled glaring at his sister.

Unfortunately Rosalie couldn't contain her laughter, and her hilarity at the subject sent me into a fit of giggles.

"Stupid vampires, do they have to worry about getting up at such an ungodly hour? No of course not." Edward mumbled as he stuck a finger into the icing of one of the cakes we had made.

I glared at him and he shot me a look that would put an injured puppy to shame. I wanted to go over and do anything to make him feel better, but I knew it was just a show. Eventually his expression changed into an intense gaze and my feelings shifted, I saw love and desire flash through them.

Love? How could I ever be sure that it was what he truly felt, or what my 'gift' made him feel when I saw him. I was in love with him, there was no doubt in my mind. The time we spent together was never forced everything seemed so easy and at the same time had s much meaning behind it. The slightest touch made me ache for him and every sidelong glance made me self-conscious. I hadn't felt this giddy since I was a human, but my emotions were clouding Edward from his own. I'm a monster, Edward could do much better, he could be with another human and have the life I couldn't possibly offer him.

Imagine what I would deny him by asking him to be with me, a family, children of his own. A heartbeat that would flutter when seeing the thing you desire most, or race as the adrenaline coursed through your veins when you were scared or thrilled. The convenience of a cooked meal and most of all, the effect of graceful aging in both himself and those around him. I would take it all away from him if a was ever selfish enough to ask him to be with me.

I broke out of my daze as Rose's finger snapped in front of my face.

"Hey Bells, vampires aren't meant to sleep you know." I just scowled at her and turned to Alice and Edward.

"Ready to open your presents from Santa?" I said excited for the day to start.

Carlisle came into the kitchen and wished everyone a happy Christmas. "Is it Santa time?"

I nodded and led everyone to the lounge room. Alice and Edward were giving me strange looks as I handed them a small stocking full of gifts.

"Santa wouldn't happen to have long brown hair and topaz eyes would he?" asked Edward looking amused at how excited I was for the day to start. Usually it would be Alice jumping around the room making a fuss. _Bella is so beautiful when she's this excited, she looks so happy_. His thought broke through and my heart swelled. I smiled to myself, Edward must have seen me before adding, "Well at least Santa's hot this year."

I winked at him and heard his heart accelerate the desire in the room increased and I could almost drown in the tension I had caused. Chuckling to myself I turned to give Rose and Carlisle a sack each and went to sit on the couch.

"Can I give you my gift now Bella?" Alice asked excited and my eyes grew wide.

"No." I said trying to remember that this was their first Christmas with us. "It's _only_ Santa presents in the morning, then Christmas lunch, followed by desert and then gift exchange. It's a time honoured tradition." I said mustering up the most serious and stern voice I could given the day.

"How will we have lunch together?" Edward asked, his mood seemed to have become disappointed at the thought of the five of us not being together for our first Christmas meal. Why do you have to look so handsome even with that pout on your face?

I smiled understandingly at him, "We're having a Christmas dinner hunt, we'll still be here for lunch, and if our thirst is that bad we'll stay close. But I can assure you it will not be a problem." I felt better as Edward's mood lightened back to the cheerful, excitable one it had been previously. "Open, open, we have a lot to do today ladies and gentlemen."

I watched Carlisle shake his head while chuckling to himself and Rose dive straight into her presents, carefully opening each one. Alice on the other hand was ripping into the paper making a mess of colour fall everywhere. Edward was staring stoically at me.

"You okay?" I asked. Did he not like Christmas. Was he angry for some reason, I racked my brain trying to see a reason he could be angry today. Nope nothing.

"Do you not get any presents?" he asked and I smiled to myself.

"Of course silly, do you really think that Santa would forget me?" I said as I pulled out a small sack with my name on it. "Santa doesn't forget." I said winking and I heard his heart-rate accelerate for the second time in 5 minutes. I smiled to myself and began opening my sack, seeing Edward follow suit.

When all of the gifts had been opened I quickly cleaned up all the paper on the ground, most of it left by Alice and ordered everyone to sit on the lounge and watch Christmas appropriate movies. I set up the dining room and finished the food preparations, before going to join everyone watching A Christmas Carol.

I sat down on the couch next to Edward and felt him shift to make himself comfortable, I felt nervousness radiating off him as he put his arms around my shoulders and I looked up into his eyes and smiled at him, his face quickly changing to a relieved smile. As we sat and watched the movie he gradually pulled me in closer, I felt happy being this close to Edward. The small smile that played around his lips made me believe that he was happy as well.

"Is it lunchtime yet? I want to open my presents." Alice said from across the room, everyone burst out laughing at the impatient look on her face.

"Yes, come on human. It's time to feed your fragile little stomachs." We all rose and walked into the living room, while Alice and Edward ate the massive amount of food that had been prepared for them Carlisle, Rose and I made plans to go on vacation during the summer vacation. Alice gave input on the best shopping destinations, whilst Rose and I were looking for the best adventure and extreme sport destinations. When you are invincible, not much was able to give you the thrill of danger. Carlisle insisted that we relax on our next vacation, having Edward agreeing with him.

After lunch had been cleaned up we moved to the living room as I sat next to the huge tree that had been added to the small room I motioned for the others to sit in their seats.

I felt nervous giving each person their present, I had bought Carlisle a small island in the Caribbean sea. Rosalie had been the easiest to shop for, she had dropped hints for weeks that she wanted to attend a car show however I had also set up a meeting with the team from Orange County Choppers to take her through the shop. They were going to surprise her with a custom made bike and show her the fabrication process involved in it's manufacture. Alice had been a bit trickier, her present consisted of a weekend fashion and design course, as well as a original Valentino handbag. Each person face lit up as they opened their present, making me feel relieved that I had been able to find something they had liked. Alice was so excited that had I needed to breathe she probably would have suffocated me with how hard she had hugged me.

Edward had been by far the hardest to buy for, he didn't expect or want much from anyone and rarely allowed anyone to spoil him with lavish gifts. I sat in my study for hours searching the internet, or catalogues attempting to find the perfect gift, finally after weeks I had gone to Alice and asked her what Edward would like for Christmas. She was no help. I had finally decided to buy him a bound composition book as well as sheet music for Edward to experiment with. I had also purchased him a silver Volvo s40, as Alice and Edward were both sharing Alice's car. At least it would get him from A to B until Rosalie could get her hands on the engine.

As he opened the box that contained the keys to his new car, he looked up and glared at me. I just smiled encouragingly and shrugged off his response. He wouldn't care how much I had spent once he had seen the car. I rolled my eyes and rose from my position next to the tree.

I grabbed Edwards hand, ignoring the tingling feeling in my hand and pulled him out to the garage. Parked next to Carlisle's BMW was Edward's new Volvo. I saw his eyes look at the car longingly before glancing at me.

"I knew you'd want it eventually." I laughed seeing a pout grow on his face. "Do you like it?" I asked knowing the answer from his emotions.

"Maybe a little bit." He teased smiling at me. "Thankyou Bella." He reached up and kissed me on the cheek. "Let's go finish off those presents before Alice opens them all herself."

I took his hand again as we made our way into the house. The presents I received were all perfect, Carlisle had given me a small jet large enough to seat 10 people. Rosalie had bought tickets to paintball, bungee jumping, base jumping and sky diving as well as tickets of her own so that she could join me. Alice had of course bought me cloths, it had been her mission since she started living here to completely 'revolutionise' my wardrobe. Edward gave me a beautiful necklace, a pleated silver chain with a small locket hanging from it containing a picture of him and I that had been taken the first month that Edward and Alice had lived here.

I could feel his nervousness as he gave me the gift and when I had finished admiring it I put it down and moved to hug him. I must have taken him by surprise as his heart-beat increased and his breathing became shallower. Rosalie and Carlisle were snickering in their seats.

"Thankyou." I whispered and my lips grazed his ear as the words passed my lips. I could feel the lust and love coming from Edward and I slowly moved away from him, I wanted to hold him forever but who knew what Edward wanted. I had given him his privacy, my mind remained closed to my families thoughts as I forced myself to try and find another way to understand Edward's feelings.

The rest of the day passed by in an easy rhythm, we went hunting well after Edward and Alice had retired to bed, and were each able to find some deer and wild goats that were still out at this time of the year.

After Christmas day, Alice decided that it was time to make a family scrapbook, we spent the entire weekend cutting out paper shapes, photographs and gluing pages together until the book met Alice's standards. Containing several pictures that I had no idea had been taken.

We had given the Album to Alice to keep safe, even though her room was littered with clothes and shoes she had still managed to find a safe place to keep it.

The first day of term was sunny, so Rose and I would not be attending school. While the other two put on their uniforms and headed out the door I went around the garden and tried to fix up the house as best I could before I got a call from Carlisle late in the afternoon.

Edward and Alice walked through the door while I was on the phone to him and I smiled as they made their way into the living room and settled down for the afternoon.

"We need to move." Carlisle said urgently into the phone. I could hear him driving in the background.

"Why? We just moved here a year ago." I asked and I heard a woman's piercing cry in the background. Edward looked over at me curiously while Alice had gone to her bedroom to fetch something. "Who was that?" I asked keeping my voice calm. The woman's cries continued while I spoke.

"You'll find out in just a second." He said as the Mercedes flew up into the garage and I saw her, immense pain coursed through me the closer I can to the writhing lady in front of me.

"Carlisle you cannot keep bringing home humans!" I yelled. "They're not pets! You know what, from now on you are not allowed to bring anymore humans home with you! Am I clear? Why did you change her anyway?" I realised she must have been dying when I saw the broken bones and torn off skin that was repairing itself. I was filled with the pain of the change and I didn't have enough energy to block out my own pain let alone comfort this woman. "Carlisle she's a new born, what are we going to do with Edward and Alice?"

"Change us," I heard from behind me before Edward smacked his sister over the head.

"The three of us can't handle three new-borns." I said shaking my head, trying to think straight with the pain that was threatening to rip me in two, still raging in my body.

"We could go to Denali. I'm sure Tanya would be more than happy to help us."

"Carlisle…" I warned staring daggers at him.

"Bella we have to move no matter what." He said looking over to me, flinching when he saw the murderous look on my face.

I just shook my head and looked down. "Go to Denali, I'll be a few days behind you. I need to pack up here. And so help me I am not going to school up there." I said threateningly.

"Who are we going with?" asked Alice bouncing up and down, completely unfazed by the screaming woman next to her.

"Me! Do you want to get killed by a new-born vampire?!" I yelled the physical pain I was experiencing was becoming too much to take. "I need to get out of here, please head out tonight Carlisle I'll call you as soon as I can think straight." I said leaving the house and walking quickly to my car. I could hear Edward follow me and he got in the passenger side.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"You mean we, since you are sitting in the car too." I pointed out. I smiled and turned to the road. "I need to arrange some death certificates and take care of some other papers, hire movers and a ruck to bring our cars up there. I swear next time Carlisle is coming to school with me so I can keep an eye on him, maybe that will keep him out of trouble."

"He's too old to attend school." Said Edward calmly. "Certificates? So does that mean you're getting some for Alice and I as well?"

"He can say he skipped a few years." I said knowing he would never pull it off I tried to ignore the rest of Edward's comment. Edward laughed and I felt a rush of contentment and the love from days earlier fill the car.

"Will that woman kill us?" he asked, not seeming to be frightened of the answer.

"If you get too close," I said shooting a sideways glance at him before sighing. "If she smells you, or any human for that matter she'll try. That's why Carlisle is taking her to Denali."

"Are we going to live there?"

"Only if you want to, I can't make _you_ go."

"I'll go wherever you are." He said timidly. I smiled at him and turned to the front. I heard him moving next to me but chose to ignore it until I saw him pull out a needle from his jacket.

My eyes widened and I quickly opened the window to drown out his scent with fresh air before he pricked his finger. I pulled over to the side of the road quickly and retreated from the car.

"Well that was interesting." He said looking at me.

"Are you suicidal!" I yelled at him. "You must seriously have a death wish!"

"Just proving a point." He said smiling. How could he be smiling at a time like this?

"And what would that be?" I asked from where I was standing making no attempt to move any muscle in my body.

"That you're stronger than you think. You don't have to be so careful around me you know." He said coming closer to me I could smell the open blood on him, the scent threatened to undo me but I remained still as he moved forward. He looked straight into my eyes and I felt an intense rush of emotion enter my body.

"You were willing to bet your life on that?" I asked. Running quickly from him, but he followed me over to where I stood.

"If I had to," he answered seriously before reaching up and kissing my cheek. "Thankyou." He whispered before getting back in the car. This boy would be the death of me.

I tapped on his window and he opened the door. I reluctantly handed him the keys to my baby. "Drive home, if you get one scratch on my baby, so help me you will have more than a newborn vampire to be afraid of." I threatened before he looked sadly up at me and took the keys.

It took three days to get everything in order before we could leave for Denali, I made it there a week after Carlisle had left. For the next few days Alice and Edward would stay at a hotel until we figured out the next steps.

I was introduced to Esme and she seemed nice enough. She told me about her ex husband and the child she lost, also of her attempted suicide. Carlisle explained to me that he hadn't intentionally bitten her and that it was an impulse as if she was calling to him. I of all people knew how that felt even without the temptation open wounds presented. The afternoon came and I smelt something, I quickly looked at Carlisle and rushed outside, pushing over the figure walking up to the house and standing between Esme and Edward.

I pushed any anger I had at him aside and turned to Esme. A growl formed in my chest as she fought off Carlisle to try and make it to the human lying on the ground. If it came down to it her strength could easily overpower mine, she just didn't know how to control her new body properly yet. I crouched down ready to pounce when I heard Edward's heart accelerate rapidly.

I sent a wave of pain through Esme's body to distract her before scooping up Edward and running as fast as I could back to the hotel.

"Why did you come?" I asked seriously when we were sitting around the fire.

"I thought you might need someone there with you, it's obvious that Carlisle intends to keep her as his mate." Said Edward and I looked at him confused.

"What does that have to do with me? Why would you risk you're life for something like that?" I had told him the risks, why was he doing this? Did he really come for me? No, it was probably just something that they needed back at the hotel.

"Well you might think you're losing him." He said confused by how calm I was acting.

"Edward I'm happy for him... It's not everyday you find a mate in our world Eddie." I said jokingly. For the past few days it had been hard to keep Edward far from my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, some of his thoughts crept in even when I tried to block them out. I kept imagining him as my mate, my equal. But it wouldn't happen. I love him, I had figured out that much, but it wasn't enough.

"Please don't go near Esme again, I don't want you to get hurt." I asked of him as I stroked his cheek, his skin felt so warm under mine and blood pooled in his cheeks as he blushed from my actions.

I could feel his heart-rate increase as he looked at me from under his eyelashes. Slowly he leant his head in to mine, I sat frozen as his warm lips brushed against mine. It must have felt like stone to him but he didn't seem to mind. I stayed as still as possible not wanting to startle him, but my body began to respond and I felt myself give him a light kiss back. The kiss ended as Alice entered the room.

"Bella we need to talk." She said as she sat on the couch opposite me.

"Yes Alice what can I do for you?" I asked opening her mind, for this conversation.

"When are Edward and I going to become vampires? Actually I don't care about Edward, when am I?" _Please say soon, please say soon_. She thought desperately.

"Alice, it's not an easy decision, you saw the way Rosalie reacted to the change. Besides that, do you really want to endure three days of hell just to be given a life like this?"

_At least I'll have an angel with me_. Edward thought to himself, I smiled over at him and he grinned back sheepishly.

"Alice this life isn't as easy as you think, it's hard work we cope with the pain of thirst every single day of our lives. We make no human attachments, so that when they die or are lost, we don't have to grieve. We move from place to place, constantly having to keep up a human façade so that we aren't revealed. I don't want to put both of you through that."

"What will you remember of us when we die then? Will you even allow yourself to grieve since you won't change us?" she said, her face turned down.

Disappointment hit me from both Edward and Alice as she said this, "I never said I wouldn't, I'm reluctant to. But it's your choice, I can have Carlisle change you in the next few days, if that's what you really want." _YES! _Alice's thought screamed at me and I flinched at the intensity.

"NO!" Edward yelled and I looked at him puzzled. You're getting what you want why are you arguing with me? I looked and saw pain reflected in his eyes.

"I want you." He said in a small voice, knowing full well I could hear every word. The double meaning hit me like a hammer and my heart soared. He wants me.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"You know you can control yourself, you wouldn't hurt me. I trust you." He whispered and I let the words sink in.

"You shouldn't… I'll talk to Carlisle, you two order some room service whilst I'll make the call." I sighed in defeat.

* * *

I know I shouldn't have left you hanging like that, but i can assure you that you won't have to wait as long this time. I have already written most of the next chapter.

Thanks again guys  
Katrina -xxx-


	6. Chapter 6

I told you guys it wouldn't take as long this time, Thank goodness for that huh.

Thanks for reading. Thankyou to mrz.edwardanthonymasencullen for making me feel pressured enough to get this chapter out so soon.

I hope you like it, feel free to give any criticism or comments i would love to hear it.

I own nothing.

* * *

I called Carlisle and spoke for what felt like hours about changing Alice and Edward. He was of course thrilled by the thought of having them changed; too bad his enthusiasm didn't extend to me.

"Bella, it would be easier if we changed them, otherwise I need you to stay and care for Esme, while I keep my role as guardian for the Masens."

"I didn't say I wouldn't change them, but why now? We all of a sudden enter their lives and they're forced to change species."

"They want this."

"They have no choice. What else would they say? They have a romanticised view of what our life is really like. Eventually the way we live will become a burden on them."

"Is it a burden on you Bella?" Carlisle asked, his voice telling me that he was nervous to even approach the subject at hand.

"Of course it isn't, the life is hard, but rewarding. What if they don't see it that way though? It's easier for our kind to follow our instincts."

"Easier isn't always better Bella. When are you going to start the change?"

"Me? I thought you would change them?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Maybe because you control infinitely surpasses my own? Or that you won't want to drain every drop of Edward's blood from his body? Are they good enough reasons for you?"

"I have a lot to do taking care of Esme at the moment, if you really need me to I will, but you need to put some faith in your abilities Bella. We all trust that you won't hurt either of them. In fact Tanya is trying to grab the phone off me to yell at you herself." I just laughed, why Tanya had so much faith in me I would never understand. She was over a century younger than I was and yet acted the role of my big sister. She had never let me down and always attempted to beat any self-deprecating thought from my head.

"Put her on."

"Your funeral."

"I'm already dead remember?" I heard Carlisle chuckle whilst handing the phone over.

"Isabella Swan how dare you try and make Carlisle change those humans?" her voice sounded far too sweet to have such a demanding tone.

"No hello today?"

"Hi, now tell me what's going on in that head of yours?"

"How about we meet for a hunt and I will tell you then?"

"Fine… Bring Rose." And she hung up the phone obviously wanting me there as soon as possible.

I walked back into the room to see Alice trying to look subtle sitting on a chair next to the balcony door. Interesting I would have pegged Edward as the eavesdropper… at least for this conversation.

"Once your changed you won't need to sit by the door to hear anymore." I joked, watching her eyes light up as she flung herself towards me and wrapped her arms around my torso. At least someone was happy.

"Are we getting changed today? Do we need to do anything? Is Carlisle coming?"

"No you aren't getting changed yet. We're in a busy Hotel and a town full of people, I didn't know you wanted to go on a murderous rampage. I guess I should have known, it's always the innocent looking ones." I joked watching her place an offended look on her face.

"You watch it, I'll be as strong as you soon."

"Too bad I'll still have the power, because guess what? Until you overcome your thirst enough that I'm satisfied, you aren't going anywhere near crowded human areas. That means no shopping trips." I saw her face crack and she looked like she would cry. Behind me I heard Edward howl with laughter at the prospect of his sister not being allowed near a mall.

"What if Carlisle says I can go?"

"He will not say such a thing until I say it's alright. I think he's beginning to see that we can't keep bringing home humans with us." I said, glad that she wouldn't be able to torture me for at least another year.

"We'll have to use Internet shopping then." She said, scrunching up her nose at the apparently unpleasant thought. Her emotions were spiralling downward from the high she was on previously.

"Rose and I will take you on a huge shopping trip once you're cleared." Immediately her emotions picked up and I could feel her excitement.

I felt Edward come up behind me, I slowly turned to face him, his hair was wet from a shower, and his clothes hugged his body nicely. He looked as if he had put in minimal effort and yet he looked so handsome. Sometimes I envied the ease of being a man in that respect. He looked confused and I just shrugged, no need to fill him in on my thoughts at the moment, he smiled at me just as Rosalie walked into the room.

"Hey Bells, Tanya called me about a hunting trip?"

"Right, we should go before she comes and forces my teeth on them." I said pointing over my shoulder. I turned to face Edward and Alice, "We'll be back by morning, if you need anything I have my mobile."

They nodded, said their goodbyes and I headed out the door with Rose.

"You could have cut the tension back there with a knife." She said looking at me, her body was radiating smugness, as she had argued many times before that Edward and I should be together.

"Not right now Rose."

"Well what better time is there? You're going to change them soon."

"Let us meet Tanya before we discuss this please? I can't have this argument twice in one day."

"Don't think that I'll forget this." She said satisfied that she would get to continue the conversation.

We made our way to Tanya's house, letting ourselves in the front door. Carlisle and I have always shared a mutual open door policy when it comes to the Denali coven, although we weren't able to accommodate the entire clan due to our modest living.

As I walked through the door I made my way down the hallway and into the large kitchen. Sitting at the bar I waited for someone to walk in the room. The kitchen was beautiful, stainless steel appliances set on black marble benchtops. The room was painted white and the overhead cupboards were a light grey. As Rose took her seat beside me, the door to the yard opened revealing a startled Esme.

"Are you okay?" I asked, her emotions told me that she was terrified of something, but the desire that coursed through her emotions was overwhelming. I knew that desire only too well, her thirst was astronomical. "Carlisle you get your sorry behind in here." I yelled through the house knowing full well he could hear me. Why did he let her thirst get this bad?

"Bella it's lovely to see you."

"Thirty seconds." I said dryly.

"A human came too close to the house, that's all, nothing happened we were able to contain her before she was able to reach him."

"I'm so sorry Bella, I never meant to, he just smelled so delicious." She felt so terrified of me I couldn't help but forgive her.

"Esme it's fine. Our life is hard and we have to work for it, it's inevitable for you to make a mistake we can't blame you for that. Why don't you come hunting with Rose, Tanya and I?"

"Thankyou." She whispered as she hugged me. At least Carlisle changed a kind human.

"Tanya let's go." I said knowing Tanya would be down within seconds.

"Hey girlie, let's get this show on the road. You coming?" she said running out the door. I motioned for Esme to follow as we ran into the nearby forest. The leaves whipped by us as we ran deep into the forest, and the animals seemed to slink away from us as if they knew not to get too close.

We made it to a small clearing before Tanya stopped to allow us to catch up. "Are we in a hurry today?" I asked watching her turn around with a smirk on her face. That can't be good.

"So tell me why are you refusing to change those kids."

"Gee, calling them kids really makes me want to change my mind, Tanya."

"Don't try and change the subject. Why won't you change them, we both know that you have ample control for something as small as this."

"It isn't as easy as that."

"Then why? Explain it to me, because I fail to see the problem here."

"I love him, okay? Are you happy now?" I hadn't admitted it to anyone but myself yet, but being able to say it aloud lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. If only he could say the same. My heart soared at the thought.

I could see the beaming smile on Rose's face, and the shocked look on both Tanya and Esme's face. There was silence in the forest, filled only by the sound of animals and a small stream far from where we were. The noise was oddly comforting as if a void was being filled with this quiet sound.

Esme was the first to speak, which startled me, all the times I had spoken with her before I had been the one to initiate any conversation between us. "You love him? How?"

I could already tell she wasn't asking how I had fallen in love with Edward, at the moment that wasn't the issue that was affecting her.

"Centuries of living like Carlisle and I have enabled us to have steady relationships with humans, however never to this extent." I could tell Tanya was itching to hear details, instead of waiting for her to ask I figured I would just tell her to save time. "I don't know how it happened. To begin with I needed his blood, he smelled so delicious like nothing I'd ever smelt before and it was like a beacon of light drawing me to him. Then I found out about Elizabeth, they were her children."

"Wait Elizabeth Angelo? That was their mother?" Tanya asked already having heard about Lizzy. I nodded ducking my head.

"What can I do? His blood calls to me, Alice would be simple to change, but what if something happened to him? How could I live with myself?"

"In a few centuries you'd get over it." Rose said obviously convinced I was acting idiotic."

"Thanks."

"Bella, we aren't going to listen to you put yourself down. You have more than enough self-control. Sure it will be hard, but what about our life isn't? eventually you have to realise that you need someone else. You can't be alone forever."

"Your one to talk Tanz."

"Hey I'm picky, he needs to fit the bill before I decide to keep him. Come on Bells, we'll figure it out and they'll be vampires before the week is through."

"It sounds like we're planning a murder." Said Rose.

"Well…" Tanya was about to compare the two ideas and I didn't know if I could go through with the plan if she said it so bluntly.

"Oh please don't, I'll have a hard enough time with this as it is."

"Can we start hunting please?" Esme begged, I had forgotten how thirsty she was before and quickly nodded to my right in the forest. We sped through and found a small heard of deer in the trees, Rose, Tanya and I each took one leaving another three for Esme to take care of. The process was messy for her after leaping on the back of a large male she broke his neck and messily drank the blood from a small cut in his neck. Afterwards we quickly took her home.

As we entered the house Carlisle handed her clothes to her, the emotions in the room spiked from calmness to that of embarrassment and love from both Carlisle and Esme.

We spent the morning putting together details for the rest of the week, Esme especially was excited to have someone so young joining her. Her embarrassment at the lack of control she possessed would be eased once she saw the difficulty that would be experienced by both Edward and Alice.

Finally we decided to buy a house out near Tanya's family in case we needed any help. I can't believe that I gave into this. We made some arrangements and purchased a secluded house near the forest. The process took longer than the week as the owner seemed somewhat reluctant to part with the house, but gave in, in the end.

Carlisle and I had our possessions moved to the new house and began preparing for the change, I prayed to anyone that would listen that our family would come out of this okay. I had been so busy this week that Edward and Alice had been left at the hotel while we arranged things at the new house.

Tanya came with me to pick up Edward and Alice from the hotel. I opened the door and stopped dead in my tracks seeing a shirtless Edward standing at the small cupboard in the room.

"Uh sorry." I said averting my eyes trying to back out before Tanya walked in.

"If you two don't work out I can have him right? He looks so yummy." Jealousy flared within me and I turned to glare at her. At least Edward hadn't heard her comment.

"Um hey sorry, just let me chuck a shirt on." He chuckled obviously seeing my attempt to look anywhere but at his body. He was amused with the situation? Did the boy have no shame? Not that you needed it with a body like that… bad Bella. I tried to shake the thoughts from my head and looked in vain to find Alice. I could hear her singing to herself in the shower.

"Almost ready to go loverboy?" Tanya asked walking proudly into the room.

Where was a black-hole to swallow you, when you needed one? Edward stared at Tanya as she inspected the room looking for any left behind items, who could blame him, she was gorgeous. This did nothing to help my self-confidence.

"Loverboy huh?" he chuckled and threw a glance at me before sitting in an armchair by the window. "I'm Edward by the way."

"Tanya, since Bella has obviously forgotten her manners." I remained silent and glared at Tanya yet again, the action had no effect on her.

"So are you the little human I'll be biting then?" she said grinning with almost all her teeth showing. I could feel Edward become nervous and smiled, finally a proper reaction from one of them.

Edward turned to look at me hoping for some kind of comfort in the situation, as Alice skipped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel.

"Hi Tanya." She said happily grabbing clothes and running back into the bathroom.

"How did she…?"

"Psychic." I said simply, the answer seemed to satisfy her and she went back to scouring the room. Before stopping outside the bathroom door.

"Uh mini psychic would you mind hurrying up? It's incredibly boring out here with stoney one and stoney two."

"Stoney?" I asked

She shrugged and started banging on the door, "They sit there and don't do anything."

I rolled my eyes and waited on the bed for Alice to come out of the bathroom. Alice and Edward packed the car whilst I paid the room bill.

The man behind the desk was being particularly annoying. His thoughts hadn't left the gutter since I walked up to the counter and he was purposely stalling as if hoping I would turn my attention his way.

"I hope you enjoyed you stay here." He said typing random words into the computer in front of him. His fingers appeared to just tap any key as he attempted a conversation.

"It was lovely thankyou."

"You're lovely too." Does he really think lines like that work. When I was young gentlemen had to do a lot more to gain a lady's attention.

"Why thankyou."

"Is there anything else I can get for you before you leave? A drink maybe?" Oh surely not.

"No thankyou I'm fine." My indifference was doing nothing to deter his thoughts, if anything they seemed to egg on his lewd mental images, by the time his mind changed to a dominatrix situation I tried in vain to block out any of his thoughts from my mind.

"Really I insist, there have been nothing but good reports about the state of your room according to our records here." He said pointing to the computer screen, which I was sure showed nothing of the kind.

"Really its fine the bill is all I need." I said trying to keep the disgust out of my voice from seeing what he was thinking.

"Honey what's taking so long?" I heard Edward behind me, I turned to see him standing close behind where I was situated in front of the counter. I smiled at him before turning back around to see the boy smirking to himself. Suddenly I could smell Edward's scent closer tan before and his arms snaked around my waist, whilst his head went to the crook of my neck. "I've been waiting for you. He whispered loud enough for the boy in front of me to hear."

I could barely think of a reply, his presence was so intoxicating that it took all my effort to muster up a suitable sentence. "I've just been paying the bill." I said, I whimpered as his lips grazed my neck and I could feel his body tense behind me as his lips made contact.

The boy cleared his throat and handed me a piece of paper. "Sorry it took so long Miss. Just sign here." He said glaring at Edward as his hands stroked the skin that was visible between my shirt and pants. I wished desperately for Edward to turn me around and kiss me properly, even though I knew that it was extremely unlikely.

I signed the paper and the boy handed me a receipt. He winked at me and moved down towards another of the hotel staff. I felt Edward pull my hand and we made our way to the doors.

On the back of the receipt the boy, Joseph had written his name and number, how presumptuous. Edward glared at the piece of paper silently.

"Thankyou." I said looking in his magnificently green eyes, although now they had darkened slightly.

"Quite alright." He responded. His voice was hoarse and I could tell he was struggling not to say something, the temptation to listen to his thoughts was building, but I reminded myself that he would tell me if he wanted me to know anything.

I could still hear Joseph speaking to one of the bell hops and turned around to see him staring at me as I walked to the car. Edward's hand extended and he placed it on my back to help me get in before he slid in himself.

"Got yourself another new admirer Bells?" Tanya asked form the front seat.

"Another huh?" Alice asked pulling the car out of the hotel and following Tanya's direction to go right.

"Bella always has men falling at her feet. Seriously you'd think they would kiss her shoes if she told them to."

"I do not, not that you're one to talk, as I recall you had yourself a little stalker a few decades back. She had to act like a human for months before we managed to get rid of him." I laughed at the memory and tried not to concentrate on Edward laughing beside me.

Halfway to the house I felt Edward slide his hand into mine and I smiled at him before staring out the window. Alice and Tanya were sitting in the front seat gossipping and planning a shopping trip after Alice had adapted to our life.

"Okay kiddies, here's the deal Bella can only change one of you the other one will need to be changed somewhere else. She will feel enough of your pain as it is, so Carlisle suggested that either he or I change the other person."

I felt Edward's hand tighten around mine and I reached my other hand over his to comfort him. His emotions clamed at my actions and I could feel him lean into me slightly.

"Oooh pick me, pick me." Alice said jumping in her seat rocking the car slightly on the road.

"Okay little lady, me or Carlisle?"

"Doesn't bother me, if Bella trusts you then I do too." I smiled to myself, glad that I had befriended Alice. When she befriended someone she did so with her whole heart and soul, for that I loved her.

I could feel Tanya's amusement, she had already taken a liking to Alice and Edward in the last hour.

"That means Edward your stuck with Bella, sorry." Gee thanks Tanz. Edward felt relieved at the thought and remained silent for the rest of the trip.

We arrived at the house. It was larger than our other homes, only two stories, but the land was much larger than our previous houses.

It was an eight bedroom house, large enough for Carlisle, Rose, Esme, Edward, Alice and I to live comfortably together. Walking through the front door you were taken straight into the living area completely furnished.

Alice was bouncing next to me. "Upstairs second on the right." I said and she ran upstairs pulling Tanya behind her. Tanya seemed a little scared at her energy.

"Will you take a walk with me Bella?" Edward asked next to me.

"Don't you want to see your room?"

"It'll still be there when we get back." He said looking slightly nervous now to match his emotions.

"Ok let's go then." I grabbed his hand and led him to the back door and off the patio.

After walking for about twenty minutes Edward suddenly stopped just inside the forest and turned to face me, he was fidgeting and I extended a hand to clam him down.

"Thankyou," he said quietly, "Bella, I want to talk to you about something."

"I figured."

He gave me a look telling me this wasn't the time to get snarky and I quickly shut my mouth.

His eyes were smouldering as he looked at me and I noticed that they sparkled slightly. He cleared his throat and I waited for him to begin.

"When Mum died, I was devastated and it was hard, but I couldn't help but feel guilty." He sighed and continued, "It was hard on Alice and I but for some reason, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I mean, we lost both our parents and I still felt like I had something to hold onto."

"You had Alice, of course you did."

"That's not what I meant. It was harder for Alice, I know you could hear her crying every night for weeks and yet I didn't. I had you Bella." His voice was pleading with me to understand.

"I had you, to comfort me and pull me out of that grief. I looked at you and I still felt as if I had everything that I needed in my life. Not that you replaced my parents, but like you helped ease the pain.

"When we moved in with you, I… I was disappointed, you tried so hard to avoid me I really wanted you to talk to me and get to know each other properly. I know it was hard not to kill me, I understand that and I'm glad, I like being your friend if that was all you wanted. But before when that guy was talking to you I was so jealous…"

"I know, empath remember?"

"Right, I just need you to know Bella, I love you." He fell silent and I didn't know what to say.

"How do you know what you're feeling is real, I love you, but how do you know that what you feel isn't what I'm causing you to feel."

He smiled to himself and I couldn't help but crunch my brow in confusion. "You really don't listen to our thoughts do you? I know because even when you're gone my mind lingers on your image as soon as you walk in the door I realise that my mind hadn't captured once ounce of your beauty. Because I watch you when I know you aren't looking, I listen for your voice while I try to sleep. I know because I find myself replaying conversations over and over again just to feel like you're near, I try and listen to you hum to yourself when you think no one is listening and even when you're gone I know that I love you. There are some emotions that you can't effect Bella, love runs a lot deeper than just emotions, it connects peoples hearts, souls and minds to the point where it can't be reversed or tampered with. I love you, I'm sure than sure that this feeling is my own." His voice was so sincere and pleading with me to see his reasoning.

"I love you too Edward." He slowly approached me and put his arms around me drawing my body to his he pulled away slightly and looked into my eyes, his were sparkling with emotion and I slowly placed my lips on his, the kiss was sweet and I felt his hesitation before he deepened it filling both our bodies with passion and lust for the other. His warm, soft lips seemed to burn mine as they slid over mine. His tongue swept over my bottom lip and I opened my mouth slightly careful not to let his tongue touch my teeth.

As soon as I felt my control begin to slip I pulled away. Edward was breathing heavily and I couldn't help but laugh at his pout as I separated our lips. "Behave you, or you might not live long enough to become a vampire."

"You love me too much to hurt me."

"Don't count on it." I joked as I felt his arms tighten around my waist.

"We'll see about that." He said as he placed a kiss on my cheek, I rolled my eyes and started to walk back to the house.

"You coming?" We walked back to the house joking and laughing, knowing that in another three days Edward will have gone through the change. Apparently I was going to have to race him once he had been changed. I had no doubt he would beat me, he seemed to be superior at everything for a human.

We stopped on the porch when I felt Edward's hand tug on mine and I turned to see his smirk in place as he pulled me towards him for a kiss. I heard Tanya cheering in the background and then filling in Alice who insisted they run down the stairs to meet us.

The interrogation began as we stepped in the door.

"Where have you been young lady?"

"We have been worried sick." They said at the same time. Before insisting on details. I told Edward to go get his room ready and I would be upstairs in and hour, I quickly filled in Alice and Tanya before getting them ready to go. Alice was going to be changed in the small house on the back of Tanya's land, where Esme wouldn't be able to catch her scent.

After I had a small chat with Alice, during which she ended up hurting herself by trying to hit me for "being silly" I let her go with Tanya. The next time I saw her she would be like me, the thought scared me a little, if she was intense as a human, imagine the energy she would have as a vampire.

I headed up the stairs into Edward's room and found him lying on his bed perfectly at ease.

"Hey Bella." He said smiling kindly at me, how could he be so calm when he was about to die? Wasn't he scared at all? "You okay?"

I nodded and made my way over to him, sitting awkwardly at the side of his bed, the bottle green doona, made his eyes seem even brighter than usual and I found myself lost in them. I turned my back to him and faced the wall, terrified about what I was about to do.

I felt the bed shift underneath me and Edward's hand was placed on my back. He reached around to take my hand and pulled me down onto the bed next to him.

"Why aren't you scared? What if something happens? What if I can't control myself, how could I live with the guilt if I hurt you?"

"Shh, it's okay love. I trust you, I know that you won't hurt me because you're so strong, you just refuse to believe in yourself." He kissed me and refused to let me pull away, it felt as if he was trying to fit everything he was feeling into that one kiss. Like that helped the predicament we were currently in. "I love you." He whispered, kissing my neck, I felt a soft purr rumble through my chest the feeling of his lips on my skin was amazing. It was unfair that I could only experience this for such a short time before he was changed. The contrast of his warm lips on my cold skin sent a shiver down my spine and I let out a small sigh as he playfully bit my neck.

"Don't make me even more nervous mister." His eyes were dark with lust and I smiled as I saw the love in his eyes. "Let's get this over with. You ready?"

Edward nodded, his bronze hair spread out on the pillow as he laid back and I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked lying on the bed as he was. I moved over him and slowly kissed from his lips, down his chin and his neck, I licked the vein I would need to bite through and felt his heart accelerate and his breathing become shallow.

"This would be incredibly dirty if you weren't about to kill me," he joked obviously trying to ease my nerves. "I love you Isabella."

"I love you too Edward. I'm sorry." I said quietly before kissing him one last time and sinking my teeth easily into his throat. I could feel the blood begin to seep onto my lips and I began to battle with my instincts as his scent filled the room. He smelled so sweet that my body began to ache for him.

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I hope you guys liked the chapter. I think nice Tanya is fun.

Yay Bella Edward.

Til next time  
Kat


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys, Thanks for your response to the last chapter, i hope that you like this one. Thanks for your reviews.

You guys are so awesome. I'm closing into my last days of school, only 6 d ays to go!! yay

I own nothing.

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The ache I was feeling for Edward's blood steadily increased along with his pain, as sick as it may sound I felt better knowing I had been the one to change him, and also knowing that no one would be here to witness my moment of weakness. My instincts were pushing me to suck up the blood that had escaped from the small wound in his throat. Every breath I was taking made my hunger increase.

Time felt like it was standing still as I had my singer, Edward under my mercy. I felt my venom begin to seep into the wound, if it was any other person stopping would have been easy. The smell of blood barely affected me at all, apart from the boy lying beneath me. His scent was intoxicating and more venom flooded my mouth at the thought of his blood.

I felt defeated as my will power began to lose out against my instincts. An unsettling feeling was taking over my body. This was Edward, my Edward. Okay maybe he wasn't mine yet, but with time… okay Bella enough! I concentrated on Edward, not the Edward writhing beneath my grasp, but the Edward that had intruded on my life not so long ago. What had drawn me to this human? Humans, possessed some redeeming quality, one that made him or her stand out amongst their own kind, and yet I couldn't merely pick one quality that defined Edward. His passion and kindness, the unguarded feelings he possessed when surrounded by those he loved, his selflessness and determination to make every experience count. The way that one piece of hair would always fall into his eyes when he laughed freely and how he always tried to avoid attending school when it rained, preferring to spend the day curled up among blankets either reading or watching movies.

The comforting thought of Edward's life gave me enough strength to release the wound at which my teeth had been attached. He looked so pale and weak, though not from loss of blood, my will power had won out in that instance, he seemed terrified of what was to come. I looked at the clock, only a second had passed and I knew that the next few days would not bring any relief for either of us. To Edward's great displeasure I had resolved to remain with him throughout the duration of his change. Any way that I could increase the relief I was able to deliver, if only minutely, I would accept, that meant remaining in close contact with Edward to try and relieve the mental pain of the change.

It was beginning, the build up of the burning that Edward would remember for the rest of his life. The pain made me shiver and I knew that within a matter of hours I would not be able to shield myself from the pain, let alone abate Edward's. My mind could no longer hold back the thoughts being projected by Edward his thoughts were vicious, though this was not directed towards me I suddenly panicked as I realised it was highly likely that Edward would regret the choice he had made. I had acted selfishly, not demanding that Edward be completely satisfied with any choice made on his behalf. For not demanding he finish living his human life to its full extent before beginning another life.

The pain was ripping me apart and the only relief from the torture was that I could still hear Edward's heartbeat filling the room, no matter how fast it was beating I still found comfort in the steady pace it was setting and found myself concentrating on trying to ease his pain, no matter how slightly, to try and make the days to come less traumatising for both our sakes.

Hours passed and I could smell a change in Edward's blood, the overwhelming smell that had once belonged to Edward was slowly turning to a sweet luring smell that would have evoked new feelings had the situation been different. As time crawled by his scent continued to change and his breathing slowly evened out as he tried to fight the pain searing in his veins.

As I sat by him on the bed I could hear him working to keep small whimpers from surfacing. Time seemed to be acting strangely, appearing to speed up and slow down randomly as I sat by him. I longed for the change to almost be over.

After what seemed like weeks of agony I could hear Edward's heart begin to slow, and his breathing slowed, so much that if he were still alive, he would be suffocating. The pain that had tainted the last few days had slowed to a dull ache and I could feel Edward's relief as his body began to recover from his hurt.

When the pain had been completely eradicated and I sat nervous as I waited for Edward to regain conscious thought. His scent had changed slightly and although it gave a comfortingly familiar aroma, the scent no longer made me crave the blood that ran in his veins.

The last few hours his thoughts had become more rational as he began to understand the possibilities of his new state, I could hear him thinking about the new smells and sounds he was hearing, dust falling to the ground, birds chirping over a kilometre away. His thoughts slowly became clearer and I knew he would stir soon.

I got up to sit in the chair beside the bay window, now that I was able to look around the room, I could see the beauty. There was a four-poster King size bed, with matching cedar furniture the bay window was framed with blue curtains and white cushions and there was a small dresser across from the window. Edward's things had been moved into the room; through the open door of the wardrobe I could see shelves housing old pictures and neatly organised clothes, as well as small trinkets from his previous life.

As I looked around the room Edward began to sit up in the bed, as he opened his eyes I could see them burning a brilliant red and he had a small frown on his face. I stared at him, not wanting to get up in case I startled him. Slowly he made his way over to me looking confused. My god, if he looked handsome before, he looked absolutely glorious now.

As he reached the chair he took my hands and pulled me up before sitting down himself. It was a strange feeling having Edward pull me up, instead of having him merely lead my body. Why is he looking at me like that? His eyes seemed dazed and a smile tugged at his lips as he looked at me before he tugged at my hips making me fall into his lap.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" I asked, he was still yet to say anything, but his emotions and thoughts seemed much clearer now that Edward had been changed. He was content and I could feel the love in him, the feeling was driving me crazy, and although I was glad to be rid of my thirst for him, it was difficult to become used to the silence that was left behind by his still heart, and the significantly colder temperature to his skin.

"Thank you Bella." He whispered in my ear. Why was he thanking me? I put him through days of torture and the first thing he does is thank me?

"Why are you thanking me? I just killed you."

"I knew you'd stop. Thankyou for giving me the rest of eternity, a few days of pain doesn't seem so bad in retrospect."

"You practically tore up the bed." I noted looking over at the shredded sheets and the exposed springs of the mattress. His grip on me became tighter and I could feel a strain on my ribs and his emotions flared between embarrassment and painful reflection. "Keep squeezing and I might just break in two."

I could feel his body shake as he chuckled behind me, "Sorry, I guess I'll have to be a little more careful." His grip on me became soft and sweet as I watched the sun begin to set through the window. I could feel him stare at me as we sat there and his body seemed to be torn between action and inaction.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright? There's nothing wrong is there?" he seemed amused by my paranoia. I began searching his mind for any hint of resentment or pain, when nothing came up I closed my eyes and leant back into his chest.

"I'm fine Bells, I think I'm a little thirsty though. Is your throat always this dry?"

"You get used to it." I said indifferently. "Do you want to change before we go?"

"What are the odds I will need to chuck out the clothes I wear hunting anyway?"

"Pretty high."

"Then I'll just wear this thanks."

"You haven't showered in three days."

"Are you trying to tell me I smell?" Yes like heaven, not that I would ever admit that to him.

"You smell fine, we don't sweat. Okay lets go."

"Just hold on a minute." He said and once again, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his chest. He swept my hair aside and his nose made its way from the base of my neck up along my jaw, before his mouth followed the same path. "You smell delicious Bella."

"Uh, Edward…" I lifted my hands to the armrests so that I could push myself up to breathe, but his hands caught mine and held them in place.

"Shhhh." I felt his lips slide back into a smirk when he felt my body quiver and all of a sudden the sensation stopped as he released me.

"Let's get this thing done."

"Uhuh" Great Bella, you're hundreds of years old and the best answer you can come up with is 'uhuh'? I stood up from the chair and walked out into the hallway, not waiting for Edward to keep up. By the time I reached the porch he was lounging on the swing, the inhuman Edward might take some getting used to.

"Took you long enough." I just glared at him and ran towards the forest. Quickly scanning the area I waited for Edward to catch up.

He sauntered through the trees effortlessly and his face held a look of exaltation, of course he would find the speed exhilarating. "Ready vampire boy?"

"Uh what do I do?"

"Just… uh let your body take over. It might seem strange but don't let yourself think, just act." He nodded and turned in the direction of the mountains, I could smell deer, a small herd of mountain goat and a mountain lion in that direction, everything else was too small for our purposes.

After a minute Edward sprang to life and I followed him through the trees to the foot of a small knoll, nothing was here. The scent of deer was strong, the must have left only an hour before.

"You're thinking to much." I said trying to calm his embarrassment and disappointment. "It's okay, try again and just give yourself over to your body and feelings."

He stopped again and collected himself taking in a deep breath before sprinting into dense forest. We were heading in the right direction this time. He's doing well, in control, well as much as you can be whilst hunting. He was fast, but I kept up as best I could and came to a small clearing that held the deer Edward had smelt before.

My legs twitched as I saw Edward jump into the middle of the heard and break one of their necks, he was graceful but deadly and the combination worked well for me, his hands slashed at the back of the deer before he broke it's neck, blood seeped out of a scratch on it's back and I could feel Edward's thirst building. I have never seen anything as beautiful as when he lowered his head to the animal's, neck slowly for his first meal of this life. His eyes met mine and I could feel the emotions he was feeling burning through me an intense feeling of satisfaction, love and gratefulness radiated from his body as he kneeled next to the animal's body. I grabbed one of the deer as it ran away past me and broke it's neck quickly, Edward would need more than one to numb the thirst from his first hunt.

Blood was trickling at the corners of his mouth and his eyes were still locked onto me. Lust was pouring from his body, though whether it was for the blood or me I couldn't tell.

As he finished the first deer I motioned for him to take the one by me, as he walked by me, his hand brushed mine and he moved to the side that let him face me. His eyes locked with mine as if he wouldn't let me look away from him, I stared until he finished and stood to compose himself, the front of his shirt was covered in drizzles of blood, but he still looked as handsome as ever.

Before I could blink Edward was standing in front of me, I could feel him take my hands, but my eyes were still being held by his startling red ones.

"Bella, you're so captivating, that even when I let my instincts take over my body, I couldn't help but notice you and feel drawn to you. I love you, I have since I was human and I just want a chance to show you how much I want to be with you. Please?"

How sweet, he's so nervous. His eyes practically begged with me to say yes. Did I want to be with Edward? Would it wreck a friendship that could last an eternity?

"Please Bella?" The look in my eyes gave me my answer, of course I wanted to be with him. I wanted to claim him as mine when we returned back to our human life. I wanted nothing more than to have Edward as my mate. He looked so helpless as he waited for my response that I couldn't help but smile.

I took a deep breath and Edward's emotions plummeted. He didn't think I wanted him? Why would he love me more than I loved him?

I squeezed his hand and pulled him into my arms before letting my lips fall on his. Edward was stiff at first, still recovering from the shock of the situation, after that he attempted to deepen the kiss causing my body to shy away, I was still scared to hurt him. His lips left mine and he looked at me questioningly.

"Sorry, I forgot for a moment that you weren't as breakable as before." A brilliant smile graced his face and he pulled me in again. This time I didn't shy away, the kiss was passionate, filled with the love and desire that he had carried from his human life, one hand went to caress the back of my neck and his other hand circled my waist. I couldn't get close enough to this man, his hands tugged my body tighter into his, my hand slipped to the back of his shirt and slid over his back, I wanted nothing more than to feel his soft skin beneath my fingers.

I let him go and smirked, "You've got a bit of blood there." He said and I looked down to see light traces of blood on my shirt. I glared at Edward and turned to find the mountain lion I had smelled earlier.

I caught it's scent and rushed towards the north, I quickly found the large cat on a bough a kilometre away. I jumped into the trees hearing Edward follow close behind me and caught up with the cat. As I got closer I could feel Edward's anxiety rise. I turned around and winked at him before leaping onto the lion.

It was an easy catch, but I heard Edward growl as I came down on the animal. The blood was warm and sweet after I had finished half the Lion I stood up and told Edward to finish it off, he obliged and I stood behind him running my hands through his hair as he drank.

When we had finished hunting it was well past midnight. I started leading Edward back to the house, he took my hand pulling me along behind him. He was much faster than I was on the way home. As we approached the house I could smell Tanya inside.

Edward did as well although he couldn't tell who it was and approached the house cautiously.

"It's only Tanya and Alice if I'm not mistaken, which I'm not."

"We're sure of ourself aren't we love."

"Love?"

"I think it's fitting."

"As do I… Love." I said and reached up to kiss him.

" AWWWW." I heard two voices from inside the house and rolled my eyes.

"Peeking much?" Edward mumbled as Tanya and Alice burst into fits of giggles. I heard Edward growl again, the sound made my emotions soar.

"Um Bella did you say something? I keep hearing a murmuring."

"Murmuring?" Why would he hear someone murmuring that I couldn't? As I listened to Edward's thoughts I could hear the thoughts of both Alice and Tanya. "I didn't open my mind to them."

"What?"

Surely he couldn't read minds as well, "Can you listen to the voices?"

"Listen to them?"

"The murmurs, I can't hear them in your mind, all I hear is Tanya and Alice." I think, "When I was first changed voices weren't very clear, only strong thoughts broke through, try and decipher between the voices, make them unique. It becomes easier to hear them when you can individualise them."

"Edward can hear thoughts, man I thought I was the only special one." Alice exclaimed from inside. I shook my head and raised my eyebrows at Edward, he leaned his head down to me and kissed me.

"You're going to get sick of that if you keep kissing me whenever you want."

"Never" he whispered in my ear before biting my neck softly.

Tanya's celebration thoughts broke through and I saw Edward smirk telling me he could hear everything she was trying to tell me.

"Tanya, stop please. You're screaming so loud Edward can hear you."

"Sorry Bella, how embarrassing." She exclaimed sarcastically.

"Thanks." I walked into the house with Edward behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist. "Are you going to let go now?"

"Sorry, I've waited too long to have you like this. You're a lot more outgoing now that I've changed you."

"Maybe its just because your mine now."

"You big softie."

"Don't tell Alice."

"Look at you two flirting with each other like that." Tanya said wandering into the room. "Oi it's giving me a toothache."

I pursed my lips, did she have to embarrass me every opportunity she got? "Tanya please?" She gave me an innocent look and I pleaded with my eyes for her to leave when Alice ran into the room.

"I found the perfect man."

"WHAT!?" I glared at Tanya how could she let Alice out already? But she was as shocked as I was looking at Alice.

Her mind was in a frenzy, running through thoughts of a handsome stranger with blonde hair and hazel eyes. He looked like a personal trainer, his arms were toned and scars laced his arms.

She launched into an explanation of her first vision after Tanya demanded she know details of this mystery man. The room in which he stood didn't look at all familiar to me, thinking I may have missed such a place on my travels I let Alice revel in her new found 'love'.

The next few months were going to be difficult enough with Alice bouncing around trying to convince us to let her go shopping, but now she wanted to go and find her mystery man.

Alice had taken over two rooms in the house in order to house her extra wardrobe, Edward just shook his head and made his way up to his room. Alice dragged me into the entertainment room, "So how was my brother? Is he a great kisser?"

"Alice did you just think about that sentence?" wouldn't it be weird hearing about your brother like this?

"Yeah, who cares."

"Um it was phenomenal, once I could let go and I knew I wouldn't hurt him, it was really nice. I haven't felt this happy… uh ever."

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I thought it was a good place to end the chapter on a high note. Have a good one.

Kat -xxx-


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys,

I had so much fun writing this chapter I hope that you like it. Tell me any comments you have or any criticism is welcome.  
Also let me know if you think I should add a lemon into the story or if it should remain a T?

I Own Nothing

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Just as I had expected Alice had searched everyday trying to find a restaurant that fit the description she gave of her visit. She searched the web constantly trying to find if such a place existed. Currently she was sitting in her room in a huff because I had told here that she still wasn't aloud near the humans, apparently I was putting her love on hold.

"You know she's plotting ways to escape right?" Edward was sitting lazily on the couch, one leg swung over the end and his head resting on a cushion min the middle as he faced the television.

The living room was quite large, so we had moved three couches around the room making three sides of a box that faced the coffee table in the centre. Esme had fun decorating the entire house once everyone had moved back in. Carlisle and I had been sent on several trips to the local hardware and furniture stores in order to find everything she wanted or needed.

All three of the new members of our family had easily become accustomed to the lifestyle we lived in, Esme found it easy to keep up her hobbies, Alice was given a budget for her shopping trips and… actually I have no idea what Edward does with his money.

"She won't get far and so help me if she gets more than three strikes in one year she won't be aloud out the house for the next decade except to hunt." This was more for Alice's benefit than Edward's, I knew she could hear me and it was about time she realised that our life wasn't a joke.

"Strikes?"

"Biting humans, or doing something that could reveal us to the humans."

"How many strikes have you had Bella?" Edward asked flashing his teeth at me, I couldn't help but smile at the way he made me feel from just one look.

"Enough" I could feel his eagerness to know. Why would anyone want to hear how many times I had failed?

_Come here Love_, his thought broke through my barrier and I pursed my lips before walking over to the couch and sitting down on the floor in front of it. His hands started to play with my hair as I stared at the cream carpet. I can't tell him how many times I had fed off humans; he would think I'm a monster.

"Please Bells," I heard him whisper in my left ear, "You know that you can tell me sweetheart."

"Edward, I was a nomad for over three centuries, to begin with I didn't know any other lifestyle. It wasn't until I was about a century old that I realised I could feed off animals. It was hard and I slipped several times, but in the first years I could hear every scream they made in their head. How they begged for their life like nothing else and the good people that remember their family and hope to live for others, instead of for themselves. I took their lives away from them, just like that. I don't want any of you to live through the guilt; our lifestyle makes sure you won't."

I felt Edward press his lips to the side of my head and I turned to my left to see his eyes trying to break through into my soul and read every emotion and thought I had ever had. "I'm sorry Bella."

"It's okay, don't worry about it." I couldn't look away from his eyes they drew me in and although the colour was unnatural, his eyes were luring. He leaned in slightly and I just looked at him and bit my lip. His eyes noticeably darkened and I felt the emotions of the room change dramatically as he flashed his teeth at me again. He quickly jumped up from the couch and crouched down behind the arm. He leapt at me and the split second he would have caught me I stepped to the side and wheeled around to see him crash into the coffee table.

"Esme is going to kill you." I started to walk up the hallway when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he mumbled into my hair as he took a deep breath and swept it aside to start kissing up and down my neck.

"To my bedroom." I was acting indifferently, but the emotions I was currently feeling were driving me insane, Edward's love mixed with my own emotions made it hard for me to keep my composure.

"Need some company?"

"Nah I'm good, you might want to check if Alice needs any company though." I said and tried to begin walking again.

"Bella," he growled at me and I could no longer help myself, I turned quickly in his arms and pressed my lips to his. Before I could make anything more of the situation I heard Alice stomp down the hallway.

"Stop playing kissy face, we have a serious situation here, how am I supposed to find the perfect man if you won't let me out of the house?"

"Do you still see it happening?"

"Yes."

"Then whether or not I don't let you out of the house for a while doesn't matter now does it?" I saw the cogs turn and her face began to turn sour before I walked past her to my bedroom. Once I had sat down on my bed Alice came and knocked on my door. "No means no Alice, no matter how many times you ask."

She screamed in frustration and stomped three doors down into her own room. My room had been completely changed, the curtains were a vibrant gold, that contrasted with a wall that was filled with old records hung in rows along it, my bed was backed against this wall and I looked out onto a black wall filled with art pieces that I had collected over the years. To the right of my bed was a bookshelf that covered the entire wall, save the door that led to the closet and bathroom. And at the right of my bed was a glass door that led onto a small balcony overlooking the backyard. Esme had done a fabulous job of decorating the room and had used several of my own possessions to make it more me.

I closed my eyes and lay back on the bed trying to block out Alice's thoughts screaming abuse at me. Her negative emotions were sending my day into a downward spiral.

After 12 I walked out into the kitchen to find Edward sitting at the counter, he was parched and his eyes had darkened to a charcoal black.

"Edward, why didn't you come and find me when you started getting thirsty?" did he expect it to just go away?

He shrugged his shoulder and I walked around to stand behind him. I placed my hands on his and pulled him up from his seat.

"Hun you need to tell me, it's not healthy for you to be this hungry, especially this early in your life."

"You can survive for over a month without hunting."

"And it's taken me a long time to get here don't you think? I lived this life for over seven centuries; of course I don't need to feed as often. You need to tell me Edward; you can't expect everything to fall into place after a few weeks. It gets better I promise, but you have to be patient." I was pleading with him, why couldn't he have told me?

He was avoiding eye contact and I pulled him into a hug, he pulled me in tighter and although it was straining my back slightly I didn't pull away.

"You don't regret it already do you?"

He pulled back to look at me and I couldn't help but look up sadly, maybe he did regret it after all.

"Bella," he whispered it so softly that I wasn't sure whether he had meant for me to hear it. "Of course I don't regret anything, I just feel so weak. I don't want you to see me like this."

"Let's go hunting, it might give you a bit of an ego boost when you catch a nice juicy deer."

"You're on, I just need to do something first." He left the room quickly and I heard him go straight to Alice's room. He came back into the kitchen considerably more nervous than he had been before and I gave him a questioning look.

"You'll find out later."

"Okay, ready to go?"

"Just one more thing, he quickly stepped up in front of me and placed a loving kiss on my lips before running out the door."

"You sap!" I yelled after him and followed him into the forest.

When we had finished hunting I decided that I should try and introduce Edward to nearby humans. We arrived home to have Alice hand him a fresh set of clothing and he changed as I set out ground rules for our outings.

This was one of the few times I would eavesdrop on Edward's thought and emotions. I would not have him kill a human on his first outing. I put him in the passenger side of the Vantage and began driving to the nearby town. When we were almost three kilometres away from the towns limits I shut off the car and moved around to Edward's door.

Opening it he gave me a funny look, _a gentleman should never let a lady get the door_, he was grumbling to himself as he slid out. I just shook my head and took his hand tightly. The traces of human scent were faint in this direction. Our road was overgrown from disuse as humans had very little reasons to travel along it.

"Okay, as we get closer mi need you to stop breathing as soon as the scent becomes overwhelming alright Edward." His thoughts were leading off in the direction of seeming weak and I shook my head and tugged at his hand.

"We can't do this if you refuse to comply with this Edward. I don't care how weak you think you are, every new vampire feels and incredible pull towards human blood. Stop breathing when it gets too hard or I'll stop you myself got it?" I was being stern, but it was necessary for Edward's sake.

"I'm sorry Bella." I looked up to see his eyes filled with sadness; his emotions matched them as he stared into mine.

"Edward I'm not angry, it's just that you and Alice both need to understand that this is not about being weak. These are the things we have to do to survive and live the way we do. I barely breathed around you when I first moved back to Chicago, Edward. We're not hunting you need to shut off your instincts and let your humanity surface."

He nodded and I couldn't help but feel I had achieved a small victory at this point.

"Get any inappropriate thoughts out of your head now because I'll be listening to everything you think." He put a look of concentration on and I opened my mind to see an image of him and I on the road locked in a passionate kiss. I shook my head and squeezed his hand as we continued along the road.

As we got closer to the town I could feel Edward's hunger spark and his thoughts were fighting his instinct like nothing else mattered. His hand curled tighter around mine and I tried my best to calm him as we continued forward.

"How you holding up sweetie?" I stopped him almost a kilometre out, the scent of the humans was much stronger than before, but to Edward's credit he never picked up his pace or fought to reach the town.

When I got no answer I decided now might be the time to turn back, "Let's go home Edward, you did really well."

"NO." Edward seemed a little uncomfortable, but the feeling didn't seem to be overpowering.

"Edward, you've done so well today, let's just go back and try again tomorrow okay?"

"Bella please just a little longer?" he kissed me on the nose, I simply closed my eyes and nodded before walking forward again.

Finally we made it through the city limits and I could see a human approaching from a hundred metres away; as I felt Edward's breathing become shallow his mind was still fighting the thirst that was beginning to build higher.

"Edward come on you can do this," I pulled him round and grabbed hold of his other hand. His eyes were tracing the man that walked steadily our way. "Okay please stop breathing Edward, you're scaring me." I pulled his gaze towards me and the turbulence of his thoughts calmed as he focused on my eyes.

"Bella." _Her eyes look so sad, am I doing this to you love?_ I tried to put on a calm demeanour but his thoughts told me that I had already given myself away.

"Please Edward? Let's go home." He nodded still staring into my eyes and he stopped taking breaths as he led me back in the direction of the car at an appropriate speed.

Once we sat down I gave Edward the nod to breathe again, I closed off my mind not wanting to intrude on his thoughts at this point. I could feel the guilt and disappointment that had crept into his emotions and I put my hand on his knee as I sped back to the house. The drive back was silent; I didn't want to interrupt Edward's thoughts, maybe this was too soon.

When I was about to get out of the car I felt Edward's hand on mine pulling me back. He gazed at me intently and I felt slightly uncomfortable; at the same time I couldn't look away.

"I'm sorry Bella." His words were so quiet I wasn't completely sure he had meant for me to hear them.

"Edward, it's okay. You did so well; better than I thought you would. It takes time and practice," I started rubbing circles with my thumb and Edward got out of the car and came to my side. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken you."

"No sweetie, it was perfectly fine. I just wish I wasn't so weak, I hate feeling like this."

I felt so guilty; I was the reason Edward felt like this, but he needed to learn and the longer I took to expose him to humans the harder it would be.

"Everyone starts out like this Edward, I told you this before and I told you that our life is hard." He pulled me into a hug and I felt like I would cry if I could. "I don't want you to regret anything sweetheart." I whispered into his ear and he pulled me more tightly into his body.

"You know I don't, I already told you that I couldn't possibly when I have you with me."

I nodded and walked with my head down into the house. I made my way up to my room and lay down on my bed staring at the ceiling trying to forget everything that had happened today before I remembered that Edward needed to hunt again. I picked up my phone and called Tanya's house.

"Hello?"

"Irina, hi. Is Tanya there?" Irina had always hated me for some reason so I was not shocked when her voice turned instantly cold.

"No she went into town."

"Um. Okay, is anyone else there?"

"Nope."

"Fine. Will you come hunting please I can't take Alice and Edward on my own."

"Why? Just take them yourself."

"And if something happens you'll be the one to take responsibility then right?" I tried to sound cheery, but I couldn't quite pull it off speaking with her.

"Ehk, whatever I'll be there in 5 minutes. Be ready to go I don't have all day."

I hung up the phone without saying goodbye. How Tanya was able to put up with her I would never know. Edward came upstairs to get me when Irina arrived and I smiled at him the best I could before following the three of them into the forest.

Alice slowed down to keep pace with me and I gave her a quizzical look while she tapped her head. I listened to her thoughts, figuring she had just given me permission.

_Bella I need to show you something_. Her thoughts were frantic and I just nodded as we continued deeper into the forest. She showed me a vision she had of Edward by the river not far off I saw a shadow pass his back as two arms wrapped around him and Irina leaned her head down to his ear whispering something and forcing him to the ground before trying to kiss him.

I attempted to contain the rage that had built watching the vision and I felt my hand fly out to come into contact with a nearby tree. Irina had no respect and at this point I was determined to change that vision. I glared at her figure ahead and kept up with their pace. When she stopped everyone in the clearing she suggested we split up into pairs. Listening to her for a moment I saw several images of her and Edward on the forest floor.

Edward came over and took a place next to me and I tried unsuccessfully to fight the smirk that arose on my face. Irina's abusive thoughts echoed in my head and I'm sure Edward could also hear her louder insults as she glared at me.

When her voice came out she tried to sound friendly. "Bella, don't you think that you should expose Edward to different hunting styles? Plus from what I've heard you have barely spent any time with Alice whilst you've been hunting."

I suddenly wished that I could shoot fire from my eyes when she spoke to me and I turned to Edward to see him looking disgusted at the bedroom eyes she was throwing at him.

I decided later would be the better time to catch Irina at her plan, but in the meantime I intended to have a little fun. I looked to my side at Alice who winked at me and screamed in her mind that it was a great idea.

After that I turned to Edward, his emotions had not changed much since out outing, not that I had expected them to. He looked into my eyes and gave me a weak smile before I spoke. "Is that okay with you Edward?"

A crease formed in his forehead and I raised my hand to run it over his head in an attempt to ease his tension. Before he could speak I leaned up and kissed him on the lips pulling his body towards me. Edward stood there stunned before placing his hands on my hips and drawing me closer to his body. He swept his tongue past my bottom lip and I parted my mouth slightly as he took my lip into his mouth and sucked on it biting down slightly, which caused me to let out and involuntary moan.

In the back of my thoughts I heard Alice explain to Irina that this is why we hunt together, but at the moment I couldn't concentrate on anything but the man in my arms. My purpose had been to mark my territory, but I had gotten so much more than I bargained for as Edward deepened the kiss encouraging my tongue to dance with his. His hand began rubbing slow circles on my back and a sone slid under my shirt I heard someone scream beside us.

Edward pulled away still holding onto my waist while I turned to see a bouncing Alice and a livid Irina. I cleared my throat before addressing them both, "So are we ready to hunt? Lets go Alice." I said and I turned and gave Edward a quick kiss on the lips before moving over to Alice. He growled as I left his arms and the sound made it harder for me to leave.

"We're really just leaving them?"

I shrugged and quickly pulled Alice motioning for her to begin her search. "Let's get on with it so we can beat them to the river. We have a show to watch."

We quickly hunted filling Alice's needs and raced down to the river in order to find the spot from Alice's vision. After locating it we climb the cliff next to it and sat on one of the edges just out of sight waiting to Edward and Irina to join us.

After almost twenty minutes they came Edward leading the way to the river so that he could clean off slightly before going back to the house I assumed.

Irina's emotions ranged from upset to seething; apparently Edward had barely uttered a word to her on the entire hunt. I could see him looking around trying to find some escape form the woman standing just behind him. Just like in Alice's vision I saw Edward bend over the lake and I turned and threw a glance at Alice; shaking my head at Irina's upcoming advances.

When she had successfully pinned him down I stood up.

"What do we have here?" I said as I stepped off the Cliffside and landed lightly on the ground across the river from where Edward and Irina were currently laying.

"Bella this isn't…" Edward began only to be stopped by Irina's hand on his mouth. His mind was begging me to understand and I just rolled my eyes.

"Really Bella you should know better than to interrupt. Have you forgotten your manners over the last seven centuries?"

I leapt over the other bank and easily landed next to their heads, smiling at Irina. When she looked up at me I grabbed her by the neck bringing her to her feet and kicked her into the trees that stood nearby, before leaping at her and pinning her in place.

"If forgetting my manners means I can do that, it couldn't be such a terrible thing. Get your eyes off him and look at me." She finally looked me in the eyes, she threw me a conceited glare not daring to say anything in her current position. "If I see you touch him again, I can assure you it'll be the last thing you do. You saw first hand that living with Aro for almost a century did not make me merciful." My voice was almost a growl and I could feel the fear coming from Irina as she stood before me refusing to pull the smug look from her face.

I forced her to the ground before turning back to Alice and Edward. Wordlessly I motioned for them to go home.

The next months were spent preparing Esme, Alice and Edward to interact with humans. Each of them did remarkably; after the first we were able to walk through town at a safe distance from any human contact. When any admirer came too close I would make them hold their breath until they had finally been able to breathe the scents and force their instincts away.

Carlisle and I had invited friends of his from work to the house, giving Esme, Alice and Edward a chance to practice their human behaviour. Alice had slipped up the most always twitching or accidentally moving too fast.

After almost 9 months they had adapted well to our lifestyle, this gave Carlisle and I had a chance to discuss new living arrangements. Moving back to Chicago was out of the question and with the run of luck I had there we wouldn't be going back anytime soon. Carlisle was offered jobs at several hospitals over America and he insisted that I go to school with Alice and Edward.

Finally after days of discussion we settled on moving to a small town not far from Seattle called Forks. The weather help Alice and Edward get outside more as it rained far more than it shined. For years I had gotten used to working in hospitals when we lived in particularly sunny cities. It gave me a chance to stay indoors and helped us remain inconspicuous. But with this new lifestyle being given to Alice, Esme and Edward I wanted to give them an opportunity to go outside where possible.

Carlisle agreed to only work night shifts, as we needed Rosalie at the school and someone to look after Esme during the day. None of them seemed very pleased that we had worked out a 'babysitting' schedule, but it was necessary so early on.

I had packed up most of my room into boxes to prepare for the move and went to lay on my bed. I ended up laying face down. When the door opened I didn't look up, already knowing that it was Edward.

The left side of my bed creaked under his weight and I turned only head to look at him.

"Hey Bella, I guess you don't need help packing," he looked around the room raising his eyebrows when he noticed that more than half the boxes held my books. After the first few weeks Edward's mood increased steadily along with his control. He became more confident and self-assured, which made me love him even more.

"Nope, you could always give me a massage though." He chuckled but went to straddle the back of my hips before his hand began working on my shoulders. "Are you looking forward to school Bella?"

I snorted, way to be attractive. "There's only so many times you can go to school and actually like it Edward. Luckily for you this is only the first time… as a vampire anyway. It should be very easy this time, no reason to study since you remember it all anyway." His hands were so relaxing as they worked their way down my back. I shifted slightly to get more comfortable.

One of his hands moved my hair to the side and his lips came down on my neck. "Good to know that I have time to do other things then." He whispered right next to my ear before kiss and biting just behind my ear and down my neck.

"Why Edward, how could you not want to devote all your time to your study?" I tired to sound scandalised and Edward just laughed.

"Because I have a better alternative." His hands slid under me and easily flipped me so that I was on my back. "I love you Bella." He whispered as I felt his lips meet mine.

Just as his tongue flicked out Alice burst through the door. "Let's go I wanna find my mystery guy."

"Do you have a timer on you? How do you always walk in at the worst possible time?" she shrugged and skipped from the room. Ever since I had given her permission to start searching for her mystery guy her mood had lifted to a near impossible level of energy.

I went to stand up only to have Edward pull me back down, "Ten more minutes love." He kissed me again and pulled back. "Okay make it twenty."

I shook my head and pushed him off me. "Come on Casanova." I winked as I walked out the door and left behind the just that had built up in the room.

* * *

Let me know what you think, I am always curious as to what my readers like/don't like about the story

Til Next Time  
Kat


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